There are many different forms of self expression. Some people create art, such as drawings, paintings, or stories, some people get tattoos. But there are different ways of self-expression, darker, more painful ways, like self harm.

I bear the marks of self harm, the scars that run deeper than just skin. These marks that ensure I will never be seen as a normal person, every look filled with criticism or pity. Even disgust. But I am among many that bear these marks, battlescars, proof of our victories over our own hearts and minds. Not all of us can wear these marks with pride, not in the deed, but in the survival.

Very few people understand self harm. It is not a disease, not something that can be cured. It is something that must be fought, and not everyone wins this war. Some use it as a coping mechanism, others a cry for attention or help. It is sometimes used to calm riotous emotions, or let one know that they are still alive. Every person’s reason is different.

Self harm is out there, and the chances that you know or have met someone who uses this form of self expression are very likely. If you are trying to help someone, then the most important thing you can know is that you cannot fix it, it is a personal battle, the most you can do is be there and be supportive.

I still fight against it, and I will for the rest of my life, and I may not always win. But the important thing is that I am still fighting. I will not sit idly by as this devil devours my life. I pull my strength from within, and from those around me who care. I know that I am not alone, and neither is anyone else, if you are willing to accept help from those who offer it.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.”
-Winston Churchill