SELF-INJURY AWARENESS DAY
I went back and forth 100 times abt posting this, and I am scared, not going to lie.
Today is Self-Injury Awareness Day. As someone who has engaged in self-harm, today is an emotional day for me for many reasons, especially in realizing how far I've come.
I think I engaged in self-harm because I thought it was the only way I could feel something. I also think it was my way of crying for help. For a while, I felt nothing & I was numb. You could have just told me that I won the lottery or that my dog died, & I would have little-to-no reaction. However, self-injury was NOT the answer & only made things darker for me. And, not only was I hurting myself, but I was hurting the people around me.
It's interesting bc, before I engaged in self-harm, whenever I heard the term, I became uncomfortable & confused; Maybe how u feel right now. I know there's such an enormous stigma around self-harm, which is probably why I was so afraid to post this. But, the only way to end the stigma is to talk about it. I wish it weren't this way, but I think it’s tough to understand something unless you have experienced it yourself.
Next time you hear about someone engaging in self-injury, don't go to a place of judgment. Instead, I urge you to take a moment to think about that person & send love. And remember, someone's struggles should NOT be someone else's gossip.
You have no clue what others are experiencing & the battles they are fighting. On the outside, you would have NEVER known that I was struggling the way I was. I would smile & laugh. But on the inside, I was breaking.
I'm thankful for the hard times I have been through. You have to fight through the bad days to earn the best ones. My past struggles have shaped me into the person I am today & they made me 1000x stronger and wiser & for that, I am grateful. I would've never imagined being where I am today & loving myself as much as I do now.
I am sending so much love and strength to anyone who has dealt with/is dealing with self-harm. I am here for you. Don't give up. You are stronger than you know.
Free Self-Harm Crisis Text Line:
TEXT 74174
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