March 1st is self-injury awareness day (SIAD) and I thought with this new platform it's important to talk about real issues that people go through as well as the fictional world I find myself living. I'm by no means an expert and I'm not claiming to be but it's very close to home for me and I can understand the pressing need for these issues to be talked about more even with the recent significant advances in the media.
Something I've seen a lot more of is #diversereads which are focused on mental health awareness and I love these reads because I think it's so important for people who aren't struggling to read things from another point of view. This means that we are becoming more aware of our surroundings and the people who around us, ultimately allowing us to help them through whatever it is they may be going through. I also wanted to promote books that I've personally read so that I could give an honest opinion on which ones I think have good mental health awareness rep.
Some of my recommendations are:
Perks of being a wallflower, Steven Chbosky (Depression and trauma)
Holding up the universe, Jennifer Niven (Binging)
All the bright places, Jennifer Niven (Depression and Suicide)
Thirteen reasons why, Jay Asher (Suicide and trauma)
I was here, Gayle Forman (Suicide)
There is a stigma attached to self-injury that I think needs to be reassessed. Self injury isn't a straight forward thin, it can be a whole host of harmful behaviour like binging, purging, scratching at the skin and any generally self-destructive behaviour. I think we need to recognise that these things are happening to people everyday and that we need to do something to help be able to recognise symptoms and therefor be able to broach the subject with our friends and family without it being a dirty subject that needs to be ignored in hopes that it will go away.
Just because you may not be going through these things yourself doesn't mean that someone close to you isn't and doesn't need you to recognise their problem. You don't have to have gone through it to support a good cause and to be an ally.
So whether you've ever struggled yourself or are an ally then wear something orange today (and every March 1st), an orange ribbon around your wrist or draw a butterfly on your wrist. If you see anyone doing the same smile at them and just reassure them that they're not alone because it's a big world out there and it can feel especially lonely at times. Every little helps especially when you're having a terrible day and you never know that may make the difference that someone needs. So be kind, not just today but always.