“Project Semicolon is an organization dedicated to the prevention of suicide. Our work is based on the foundation and belief that suicide is preventable and everyone has a role to play in preventing suicide. Through raising public awareness, educating communities, and equipping every person with the right tools, we know we can save lives.”

The semicolon has been a representation of strength and perseverance to me as long as I have associated myself with recovery. Think of it this way: a semicolon means that a sentence isn’t over, so you are the semicolon and the sentence is your life. Suicidal ideations and self-harm are two topics that I am familiar with. I feel as though a tattoo of a semicolon would be a better display of my struggling than the scars that have been left behind. If people ask about the tattoo rather than the scars, it avoids a triggering conversation and starts a healthy one about the reduction of stigma and prevention of suicide.

According to projectsemicolon.com , 85-98% of people diagnosed with depression do not die by suicide. So the prognosis is good! If we work on educating the community and canceling out the stigma, we can improve the numbers and save many lives!