“Grit your teeth and let it hurt. Don’t deny it. Don’t be overwhelmed by it. It will not last forever.”

-Harold Kushner

Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. Keeping in line with suicide awareness, I thought I would talk about a couple of groups that reflect awareness and prevention. There are so many groups out there that stay along these same lines. And I wish that I could spotlight them all.

To Write Love On Her Arms

This group is a nonprofit group dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. Jamie Tworkowski set out only to help a friend and to tell her story. When he met Renee Yohe, she was struggling with addiction, self-injury, and suicidal thoughts. He wrote about spending five days with her prior to her entering a treatment facility. And he began selling t-shirts to help fund her treatment by posting them on Myspace. Soon people from all over the world began contacting him and telling him about their struggles and heartbreaks. And in 2007, TWLOHA became an official organization. 

Here are some numbers associated with their organization:

·       210,000 messages from individuals in over 100 countries.

·       3.8 million miles have been traveled to meet people in their communities.

·       1,100+ blog posts and launched a podcast.

·       56,000 find help tool searches.

·       27,000 fulfilled merch orders

·       $3 million donated to 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.

(www.twloha.com, 2025).

The Semicolon Project

It is an online community that began in 2013, when Amy Bleuel created it to honor her father, who died by suicide. The organization centers around mental health awareness and suicide prevention. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports a 25% increase in anxiety and depression during the first year of COVID-19. That combined with the nation’s political instability characterized by protectionism and unilateralism has led to strained international relations. And the stress funnels down to our families and personal stories. 

The semicolon represents a continuance of life where a period could have easily ended the story. There have currently been over 89,000 assessments completed. 5,336 journal entries shared. And have provided direct support to 214 individuals. Semicolon badges in Apex Legends and Call of Duty has reached over 1.3 million gamers and additionally 50 new chapters. And 84% of Project Semicolon members report that the organization has saved with lives in times of crisis (www.projectsemicolon.com, 2025). 

Mission Statement

Our mission is to empower individuals with mental health experiences to embrace their journey and recognize that their story is far from over.

I hope that you can take something from this information. Please take what you can use and leave the rest. And please pass along the information to someone who can benefit. Even if that someone is you. Keep smiling! And do not be afraid to reach out for help.

Affirmation: There are other ways to end my pain, even if I cannot see them right now.

***Don’t forget to watch the video!***

#Thispuzzledlife