Unless you've been through it, you don't understand the crucial moment. That time you begin it: cutting. The first cut, that's the start of it all. A life of secrets and hell. People will stare at you. Ask why you're wearing long sleeves in 90 degree heat. Ask why you don't wear bikini bottoms. Ask why you wear so many bracelets. They just don't get the amount of pain it takes to take a blade to yourself.

      If you've gone through this, I'm sorry and you're beautiful. If you haven't, this is for you to understand. Get my perspective on self harm and why I've done it. How it feels, the way people's words hurt you, the secretive behavior. This is for people to understand and not judge self harmers. Would you judge someone with a broken leg? Then don't judge us for having a broken brain that makes us do things you perceive as strange or just different. We are humans too and staring and pulling your kids won't prevent someone you love from getting addicted to this behavior.

      This is my story and I would love for you to listen, together we can stop stigma of mental illness.