“To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.  TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.”

Today is the Second Annual To Write

Love on Her Arms Day.  In order to

spread awareness and spread love, I

wrote the word “Love” on my arm. 

Will you join me?

Click on contact me and send me your “love” photos and I’ll post them. 
This is a cause near and dear to my heart.  Thank you to Will from GetIt2Gether for reminding me to write this post.

More information:

The statistics:
-121 million people worldwide suffer from depression. (The World Health Organization)
-Mental health disorders (particularly depression and substance abuse) are associated with more than 90% of all cases of suicide. (WHO)
-In the last 45 years suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide. (The World Health Organization)
-18 million of these cases are happening in the United States. (The National Institute of Mental Health)
-Between 20% and 50% of children and teens struggling with depression have a family history of this struggle and the offspring of depressed parents are more than three times as likely to suffer from depression. (U.S. Surgeon General’s Survey, 1999)
-Depression often co-occurs with anxiety disorders and substance abuse, with 30 percent of teens with depression also developing a substance abuse problem.   (NIMH)
 -2/3 of those suffering from depression never seek treatment.
Untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide, and suicide is the third leading cause of death among teenagers. (NIMH)

Where to turn for help

Mental Health and Depression resources (help & education):
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression
Mental Health America
National Institute of Mental Health

Addiction recovery resources:
The National Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Rehab Information Help Center:  1 – 800 390 4056
The National Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Rehab Information Center website
Alcoholics Anonymous
The website for the Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous
Join Together Online
Marijuana Anonymous
Cocaine Anonymous
D.A.R.E

Self-injury help (non-triggering):
Self-Injury Help.com
S.A.F.E Alternatives
Self Injury Support

Suicide Prevention:
Hotlines:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK
The National Crisis Hotline: 800-784-2433
LifeLine: 800-273-8255
Depression Hotline: 630-482-9696
Para obtener asistencia en español llame al 1-888-628-9454
websites:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website
Suicide Prevention Services – “Here for Life”

Worried about a suicidal friend?
Befrienders Worldwide

To Write Love on Her Arms:
To Write Love on Her Arms website
To Write Love on Her Arms Myspace page – where it all started
To Write Love on Her Arms Facebook page
TWLOHA on Twitter