Help Fight Depression and Suicide: Write Love on Her Arms Day

On Friday November 13 and February 12-13, I will be writing the word "Love" on my arms to help fight depression, self-injury and suicide. Write Love on Her Arms Day helps raises awareness and shows your love. Last year over 500,000 people signed up on Facebook saying that they would participate. The Write Love on Her Arms organization's goal this year is 1 million people participating in the 2nd annual Write Love on Her Arms Day.

The Principles

Through the official Facebook page I learned a bit more about the overarching principles guiding Write on Her Arms Day.

"All people are created to love and be loved." This is often difficult to remember in a society which becomes more impersonal each day. We forget that we are meant to live in communities, our lives affect others and our lives matter. By writing "love" on your arm, you are participating in a community of people that say all human life matters.

"Everyone can relate to pain, you are not alone." Life is hard. Life is hard for everyone. Write Love on Her Arms Day is great for people who try to one-up their pain. People complain in ways that make their pain seem worse because they think they will feel validated. In truth it makes them feel lonely. Instead of one-upping your pain be empathetic and sympathetic with others. Love them. Help them realize that they are not alone without discounting the pain of their situation.

"We are meant to live in community. We are not meant to live alone." Humans are social creatures. It is unsurprising that when we get separated from fellow human beings, we get depressed. Write Love on Her Arms Day is about supporting that human community. Amid all the factors that separate us, writing a simple "Love" on your arm can bring people together, it can show people that you want them in your community.

Depression

Many people suffer from depression. Clinically about 15% of the population has been told by a health care provider that they are depressed or have been according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. This is just those who have been diagnosed with a clinical problem. Write Love on Her Arms Day is for these people but it is also for the normal downturns of emotion that are part of human experience. With the economy as it is, everyone is stressed and many more people are coping with situational depression. A visual reminder of unconditional love not attached with success or employment can help us remember our worth.

Self-Injury or Self-Harm

Self-Harm is often joked about in popular culture but it is a serious issue. Over my life, more of my friends have struggled with self-harm than I can even remember. Self-harm can be about depression, control, or suicide. Many friends who injure themselves have a hard time accepting love and need a regular almost constant reminder of love from friends, family and others. Write Love on Her Arms Day is about letting them know they're loved.

Suicide

Suicide is serious. In the summer of 2009, the CDC (The Center for Disease Control and Prevention) published a PDF titled Suicide Facts-at-a-Glance. Statistics help me see the gravity of the situation. Suicide Facts-at-a-Glance had lots of suicide statistics but some that I found particularly striking. The suicide rate in America is equivalent to one suicide very 16 minutes. Between the ages of 25-34, my age group, suicide is the second leading cause of death. The word "love" may not prevent suicide but participating in Write Love on Her Arms Day can raise awareness of resources, and care. Sometimes you never know what will make someone think twice about taking their own life.

Tips for Write Love on Her Arm Day

You want Love to be visible. A regular pen might not do the job. Writing Love with a permanent marker seems like the easiest way to go. Make sure you thoroughly wash your arm before you go to bed Friday night, otherwise you will have love on your sheets and not in a good way. A friend used to give me sharpie permanent marker tattoos. They were great but the first time I didn't know I had to wash it off before I went to bed and I woke to colored sheets.

If you want your Love message to last more than a day, I recommend henna. Henna is great because with good quality and proper care a henna tattoo can last over a month. I like the semi-permanence of henna.

Simple is fine. Writing "Love" on your arm doesn't have to be fancy. You can just make capitals along your arm and it'll do the job. If you want it fancy, you can find someone with art skills to decorate your arm with love. You could even hold a party in the morning to decorate with "Love" and spread the word about Write Love on Her Arms Day.

Before the big days, do some internet searches for local resources. When people ask you about why you wrote "love" on your arm, tell them about Write Love on Her Arm Day, and be prepared to answer questions they have. They may be struggling and need someone to talk to. They may be suffering from depression, self-injury, or suicidal thoughts. They may have a friend who is suffering. Write Love on Her Arm Day is about reaching out and helping people. Knowing your local resources will help you help others.

References

http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/Suicide-DataSheet-a.pdf

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=180283055427&index=1