Today I went to a tattoo artist, and for $60 I let a man with a giant Jesus-tattoo on his head ink a semi-colon onto my wrist where it will stay until the day I die. Heather Parrie
Heather’s Story
By now, enough people have started asking questions that it made sense for me to start talking, and talking about things that aren’t particularly easy.
Heather Parrie wrote this as a 20-year old student at the University of Missouri. She was diagnosed with depression in April 2015. By June she had to leave her dream job on campus. A friend shared her story with me. I thought it would be important for you to read.
Heather lays it all out for you to see. She offers insight into how a semi-colon helped her deal with depression. Her original post has now been viewed by over 7 million people.
5 Insights to Depression
1. “You cannot spot depression because you become depression.”
No one ever knew that Heather’s illness had crippled her so severely that she spent 20 hours a day wrapped in blankets in her bed, trying desperately to fight away the bitter cold that had taken residence in her heart and mind.
2. “I am embarrassed to tell you that I couldn’t get out of bed in the mornings.”
One out of every four people struggle with mental illness but sufferers feel like they are the only person who has ever experienced this before.
No one tells you what to do when the good days dwindle so severely that you can’t remember the last time you woke up and didn’t want to die.
3. “Having to ask for help is something we shouldn’t feel bad about.”
Sometimes strength is admitting that you don’t have any left. Never fear admitting that you need more help than you can give yourself.
4. “A semi-colon is a reminder to pause and then keep going. I got this tattoo as a promise to myself that I would never willingly end my sentence.”
A semi-colon is a place in a sentence where the author has the decision to stop with a period, but chooses not to. I got it as a reminder to take this summer as a pause, and then to keep going strong next year.
I got this this tattoo to open up conversations between myself and other humans about mental illness, because as difficult as mental illness is, what’s more difficult is feeling stigmatized. Or like you failed. Or like people are feeling sorry for you.
5. “Because of my experience, I can be an advocate and champion for mental health awareness.”
The stigma surrounding mental illness inhibits struggling people from finding the help that they need.
“I will show my tattoo proudly and champion for the people who cannot champion for themselves.”
Heather told Buzzfeed, “Every time I look at it I’m reminded of how many other people are struggling in the same way and how many people are on my side. Depression has a way of convincing you to believe you’re the only one who has ever felt this way before in the world, but my tattoo reminds me daily that, above all, depression is a liar.”
in 2020, Heather is working for Campus Kitchens and lives in Chicago.
For more information on the semi-colon tattoo please visit http://www.projectsemicolon.com.
Related posts: Things Christians Tend to Get Wrong About Depression
16 Helpful Insights About Loss and Depression: Rick and Kay Warren
APPLICATION: Which of Heather’s five insights stand out to you? Please leave a comment at the bottom. Thank you.
Hope grows here. You’ll find stories that inspire, build faith, and offer lasting purpose.
We’d love to have you Subscribe to REVwords. Helpful content will arrive in your inbox early Mondays to get your week off to a thoughtful start.
