With September being Suicide Prevention Month, it's important to get information out there for people in need. Many companies will post about this month and share resources and ways for people who are struggling to get the help they need, while also supporting their loved ones, but one non-profit has set a theme for this September.
ABOUT TWLOHA:
TWLOHA (To Write Love on Her Arms) founder, Jamie Tworkowski, didn’t set out to start a nonprofit organization. All he wanted to do was help a friend and tell her story. When Jamie met Renee Yohe, she was struggling with addiction, depression, self-injury, and suicidal thoughts. He wrote about the five days he spent with her before she entered a treatment center, and he sold T-shirts to help cover the cost. When she entered treatment, he posted the story on MySpace to give it a home. The name of the story was “To Write Love on Her Arms.”. Click here to read that original post.
But this was more than just a story. The words and the life it represented shed light on the reality of contrast—pain and peace, addiction and sobriety, regret and freedom. Soon Jamie and his friends were answering messages from people around the world. They longed to lift the heavy weight of depression. They wanted to be free from addiction or self-injury, to stay alive and live fully. They were mourning those they’d lost to such struggles, and they reached out to ask what they could do to bring hope to their communities. TWLOHA became an official non-profit organization in 2007.
To Write Love on Her Arms is a nonprofit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and invest directly into treatment and recovery.
We believe:
You were created to love and be loved.
People need other people.
Your story is important.
Better days are ahead.
Hope and help are real.
Their messages have impacted thousands of lives.
Suicide Prevention Month 2022:
Globally, 1 in 100 deaths is a suicide. We need to remind people they are not a burden.
Suicide is a complex social and health crisis that impacts every community on the planet. In September, during Suicide Prevention Month, we're working to disrupt the belief that struggling with mental health makes you a burden.
This month we invite you to help us create honest and hopeful conversations, explore what it looks like to support people through their darkest moments, and invest in the tools and resources that make healing possible.
Your truth, your fears, your pain, and your doubts do not make you a burden—they make you human. So we’re here to remind you: You are not a burden.
Suicide Prevention Actions Steps:
#1 – Look for Signs + Ask the Questions
Suicide is complex. There is no one solution. But we fully believe we can all be part of preventing suicide. It starts with knowledge—with a better understanding of how someone can get to a moment of crisis, what to look for, and what to do when we recognize the signs of suicide.
Look for the signs.
What we’ve learned from our friends at American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: No one takes their life for a single reason. Life stresses, combined with known risk factors, such as childhood trauma, substance use, or even chronic physical pain can contribute to someone taking their life. If these risk factors exist, it’s important to watch for suicide warning signs.
Ask the questions.
If you’re concerned about someone, or they are showing some of the warning signs, please know it’s OK to ask the question: “Are you thinking about suicide?” or “Are you thinking of hurting yourself?”
Asking this can feel uncomfortable and even a little scary, but being direct with the person you’re concerned about and listening to them is essential. You will not cause someone to start thinking about suicide simply by asking. On the contrary, by starting the conversation you’ll be making space for honesty, compassion, and the possibility of help to exist. If someone shares that they are considering suicide or have a plan, it’s important to reach out for help immediately—whether that involves going to the nearest mental health center or emergency room (if the situation requires this immediacy), or picking up the phone and calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
#2 – Know + Share Help
Pain is not a solitary emotion. We do not need to hold it in or push it down to make it through. It’s OK to ask for help with carrying whatever feels heavy and overwhelming. Because needing help does not make you a burden—it makes you human. Sometimes you’ll be the one reaching out; sometimes others will reach out to you. In either situation, it’s beneficial to know what it looks like to support someone through their darkest moments.
Know your local resources.
Spend some time learning about and familiarizing yourself with the mental health resources in your community. We recommend checking out an array of options: individual counseling, group therapy, and resources specific to things like eating disorders, addiction, and suicide.
You can use TWLOHA’s FIND HELP Tool to see what is available in your area. Simply enter your zip code and select a level of care to find a list of free or reduced-cost mental health services near you.
Save these resources on your phone or somewhere you can easily access them so that you are prepared if and when you, or someone you know, are in need of additional support.
You can also share this list of resources on social media so others can access help when they need it. If you’ve purchased this year’s Suicide Prevention Pack, there are two cards with this information in your info booklet. You can also use those to share direct help with someone who might need it.
#3 – Support Healing
“I want help. I need help, but I can’t afford it.”
We’ve heard these words too many times. The truth is that most people still have to pay for mental health service out-of-pocket. The average cost of therapy nationwide is between $100-$250 per session. This means most people are simply not able to afford ongoing care. And when 90% of people who die by suicide have a diagnosable and treatable mental health condition like depression, we know getting access to care is life-saving.
We set a goal to raise $250,000 to fund over 3,600 counseling sessions and group therapy. The scholarship program provides care for 3-6 months on average with an average cost of $50. Here’s what that looks for just a few of our recipients:
“I have been in a spiraling depression for over two years. I have had to take time off, as well as a medical leave, due to my condition. I’ve been on the desperate edge of suicide for months now, desperate for escape and relief. Thank you to the T&R Scholarship, I have not had the added financial burden of worrying about covering my copays for my weekly therapy sessions. These sessions have been my fuel to keep living and keep fighting for hope. If it was not for my therapist and the help of TWLOHA, I don’t know where I would be.”
“I hadn’t been able to start therapy due to a lack of being able to afford it. Your scholarship helped me get back on track to taking care of my mental health needs and it’s caused me to have healthier relationships, including with myself. Due to your scholarship, after 15 years of neglect I finally feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.”
More than 500 people will apply for a scholarship this year, and we want to be able to say “yes, we can help” to as many people as possible. This is where you come in: We need your support. Every $50 we raise will open the door for someone to sit with a counselor for the first time. Give what you can and help someone stay for tomorrow.
#4 – Have the Conversations
One goal for this campaign is to equip you to create honest and hopeful conversations. That might look like stopping to chat with someone who points out the statement on your shirt or another item from the Suicide Prevention Pack. Or it could be intentionally making time to talk with your community (friends, family, or even co-workers) about mental health and suicide. No matter how it plays out, you’re helping others know that it’s OK to talk about these things that so often go unmentioned.
It doesn’t have to be complicated.
Start by checking in with someone today. Let them know you’re thinking about them and ask if there’s anything you can do to help care for them. It might feel awkward and that’s OK. The more we have these conversations, the easier it will be.
Looking for a way to steer the conversation and talk more about mental health stuff? Here are a few conversation starters:
- What is the heaviest thing you’ve ever had to carry?
- Can you share about a time in your life when you felt like a burden?
- What changed or helped you to see this differently?
- Who helped you carry the heavy things you were dealing with?
- How has suicide touched your life?
- What would you say to someone who feels like they are a burden?