Express News Service
Do you know tattooing a semicolon (;) on your body has something to do with suicide prevention?
The anti-suicide initiative, semicolon tattoo was popularized by Amy Bleuel of the US. She struggled with depression, addiction, and difficult personal circumstances and hence wanted something to commemorate her survival from rape and losing her father to suicide.
In 2013, Bleuel found the faith-based nonprofit Project Semicolon, which had a semicolon as its symbol because it is “used when an author could have chosen to end their sentence but chose not to. The author is you, and the sentence is your life.”
The thought behind this anti-suicide project was to encourage anyone who has been through a similar experience to ink a semicolon on any part of their body, photograph it, and share it online as a source of inspiration for others. This is precisely what the tattoo is trying to do- break the stigma around suicide.
This project or movement, which aims to spread awareness relating to mental health issues and also aims to help those who are suffering from depression, suicidal tendencies and so on, has crossed the seas and reached India too after it was conceived in Wisconsin.
Dr. Lakshmi Vijayakumar, a psychiatrist, WHO consultant, and founder of Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre, says that the talk about this tattoo began through people with lived experiences and has become popular now. She also mentioned that people have begun to ink the emblem of World Suicide Prevention Day which is a ribbon in the hues of orange and yellow but it is the semicolon that has caught on more.
Gabriella Symss, a post-graduate student of St. Joseph’s University, Bangalore said that she got her semicolon tattoo around 2014 thanks to her tattoo artist who spoke about Project Semicolon. “He was spreading awareness about mental health and encouraged me to get the semicolon inked for free. I found the initiative so supportive and decided to get one as well.”
She further added that this tattoo is a reminder of how far she has come. It also reminds her of the subject of English as she loves grammar.
“I have attempted suicide since the age of 12 for about seven times. After turning 16, things got horrible because the suicidal thoughts increased. I got the semicolon tattoo as a sign of comfort and reassurance that it’s okay not to be okay,” said Maria Elizabeth Bino, a home baker and student of architecture based in Bangalore.
This year’s theme for World Suicide Prevention Day was ‘Creating Hope Through Action’ which acts as a reminder that there is another way instead of taking one’s life, and that help can be found.
Nimisha Dhami, a student pursuing MSc Psychology in Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru, says that her semicolon tattoo is in honour of her best friend who died of suicide, and for others who are seeking help.
“I’ve always fancied tattoo artists and people who get inked. When I heard about Project Semicolon and the meaning behind the symbol, I understood the importance of spreading awareness about mental health. In fact, it even inspired me to get one as well,” said Iswarya Lakshmi, a PR executive of Brand Comm based in Bangalore.
A lot more insight was gained after speaking to professionals. “So far in my experience, I have not come across any of my clients who speak about the symbol or have it as a tattoo. However, I have come across people who carry this symbol through means such as tags, t-shirts as well as inking on their skin with the purpose being to improve awareness about suicide prevention,” said Subikshalakshmi G, a counsellor and assistant professor at St. Joseph’s University in Bangalore.
Several tattoo artists also gave their input on the same. “We ink a lot of semicolons for people. It does raise awareness of mental health issues, and to bring that out in the open itself is a big deal because mental health is not something that everyone just comes out and speaks about. So this tattoo acts as a sort of starting point for people to begin a conversation,” said Akil Anand, owner of Skin Deep Tattoo Studio in Indiranagar, Bangalore.
“The idea behind this tattoo is to continue living irrespective of the challenges and hardships faced; that no matter what happens, we don’t give up,” he added.
According to Krish, the owner and founder of Inkpulse Tattoo Studio, the semicolon has been trending for various reasons and not just one. “We ink at least one tattoo a week based on this design for our clients,” he said.
Inkpulse has two branches, one based in Coimbatore and the other in Chennai. The price for a semicolon tattoo ranges between Rs. 700-2000/-
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