"To Write Love On Her Arms"

I saw on my facebook newsfeed that a few friends of mine joined a group called To Write Love On Her Arms... I checked it out and it's a self injury awareness campaign. They have a street team and cute shirts and stuff...

I dont know why... but it made me so incredibly angry. It feels like they're trying to turn it into a fashion statement to care about people! Im just trying to sort through why I felt so mad... I guess because I know that the people joining, think theyre being compassionate... but I know that no group like this, or knowing some friend of mine joined it or had some t shirt would make me want to tell them whats going on. Its like people that do charity walks for diseases so they can say they're a caring person, when they really just want it on their resume, and they want other people to see them doing it. I know that for the majority, you would get fake sympathy and and eventual shrug off because they dont understand it and wouldnt want to. Its like what the "pro-ana" slang and groups have done for anorexia. They made it a pop culture saying, and are trying to make it stylish.

Im sorry if this offended anyone at all. Im sure they do a lot of good... but i dont know...

I agree with you Paintedfish. Initially I was a little put-off and mad. But then I realised that even if they're making it into a 'fashion statement' they're still raising awareness. They're educating people. Removing some of the taboo maybe? Making it easier to talk about and making people feel like they're not alone. Just my thoughts. =)

Of course some people turn things like this into a fashion statement. To me, as long as there are people raising awareness about issues/diseases, etc there should be awareness for, I'm definetly willing to put up with the fakes.

Mdn you definitely hit the nail on the head... I hope theyre doing good, too. But it makes me feel more like a charity/pity case than someone who just has an alternative way of dealing with stuff. People were like... "Oh this group makes me cry!" and stuff. Give me a break

And you guys are right, I know it. If theyre raising awareness and lifting the social taboo of talking about it, it cant hurt. But I dont know if theyre doing that... I hope so.

Not healthy. It certainly is an alternative way. Self injury isn't something people do for attention, obviously, it's like someone who abuses prescription meds for legitmate pain... that's not the right way to deal with it, but it's what they had and it's hard to quit when they feel they need it.

The message of the group is good, and they say that ^ more or less, but people respond with comments like

"whats the point of this , writing something on your arm won`t stop the emos from cutting themselves , and besides , thats what they choose to do ,there problem"

"I completely condone suicide. it removes those who no longer care to be among the living from our midst, and makes the world a brighter, more emo-free world. however, it's not a joke for those who have true depression. but for all of you attention wh**es posting about how "oh i used to cut but this love thingy helped me so much..." : you lack the b*lls to actually kill yourselves, and you do not suffer from depression. you just like the quasi-sexual thrill you get from cutting. it's called masochism. and if you cant accept the fact that you are slightly perverted as opposed to in serious psychological trouble, please do me a favor. next time you're getting your jollies off in the shower with a razorblade to your wrist, cut just a little deeper."

There was one supporter saying "Oh its sad that people will go to these scary lengths to get attention, when its someone who had my attention already

Its doing more harm than good. It makes every person who does this look even more "emo" in the eyes of those people who refuse to understand. And really... this ISNT for everyone to know. I dont want to go to all my friends and say "hey I need help, look at these freaky scars! Yeah I did that! Weird huh? I guess I must be hurting on the inside. sorry guys. I just need a bunch of people to write a word on their arms one day out of the year, and I know Ill be able to stop."

You know? Raaar. I dont know why Im still upset.

Yeah... you're right... now I feel foolish for letting it get to me. Thank you for taking the wind out of my self-righteous sails. I can get ahead of myself sometimes.

Thanks

I think that it's nice. To raise awareness and stuff but they can't really understand the pain, depression, and the hurt you feel. It's not like they know. Well some o them might but I agree. It does seem like they are only doing it to make it as though they care.

There hearts are in the right places though.

See i for one really like that support group. I don't think they are doing it for negative reasons, more trying to make people aware that it happens. And that when it does it can lead to the worst.

I think that most people who buy the shirt are self harmers, or people who have known self harmers. I doubt anyone who was giving fake sympathy would bother paying money for a shirt.

I don't know. I just feel that the whole thing is good. I know it makes me feel alot less alone.

Sorry if im repeating people here.

i agree, they are making serious issues "trendy", which is kind of annoying/stupid/wrong/whatever. but overall, i think it's a good thing. i have two of the shirts, and anytime anyone asks about it, i always say "its for an organization that supports awareness and treatment for self injury and depression. you should check it out." the average person does not want to know all about a classmate's/colleague's personal issues concerning that topic. however, i feel like that somewhat obviously tells them that you struggle with it, or have someone close to you that does, and that shows that real people who manage to function (or fake it) have these problems. which might open their eyes to see this as a serious problem many people face every day.

it can also be a good thing that it somewhat trivializes it. the popularperfecthappy person we all know doesn't want to know the gritty details of things. it would turn them off and probably keep them from supporting the cause, but if they have snazzy shirts and stuff to go along with it, it attracts that type of people.

however, i despise the fact hot topic sells the shirts. if you want on, go to the website where you actually learn what it means, and you can be sure money is put towards the cost (doubt the store gives them much of the profit).