International Self-Injury Awareness Day
I don't know how many of you have heard about this, but it is very important: March 1st is International Self-Injury Awareness Day. That means SPREAD THE WORD. Misconceptions about self-injury in society are rampant. People need to be educated, especially authority figures. This means police, teachers, parents, medical workers, employers, and anyone else who can affect you in situations regarding SI.
There are a few things you can do to raise awareness.
1. Pamphlets. This is a very good way to reach people. You can put them up at school, work, in hospitals, police stations, supermarkets, libraries...the list goes on. It can really help.
2. Presentations. Organizing a forum where you can reach people face to face is a great idea. You can hold them for students, for parents, for medical workers, policement, local employers, general public...anything you like. I realize that probably no one will do something like this, but it's something to think about. It's a much more effective way of reaching people.
3. Contact your mayor, governor, MP (for Canadians), etc. Ask them to get involved. They can do things like wear ribbons (red and black), help with leaflets, etc. It's important to get community leaders involved.
4. Contact newspapers. Do a few letters to the editor, maybe write a research piece or an 'expose' so to speak. You can ask to remain anonymous, obviously, so privacy shouldn't be an issue. And hell, if you're really brave, get someone to do an interview with you.
5. Spread the word online. Send out messages on the major sites (LJ and MySpace, for instance). Go to communities, send PMs to random people, write articles, blog entries...anything. After all, communication is one of the main reasons for the internet's existence.
This is a chance for the issue to get a little bit of understanding, to shed a little light on it. Right now, this is a completely grassroots movement. Governments are not getting involved, and they need to be doing so. The only way that will happen is if March 1st becomes KNOWN to the world. And it's up to us to make sure that happens.
You don't have to do much. A pamphlet here, a ribbon there...it doesn't have to be a big campaign. But PLEASE, if you feel strongly about this issue, get involved somehow.
This will be x-posted to pretty much every SI and mental health community I can get my hands on.
There are a few things you can do to raise awareness.
1. Pamphlets. This is a very good way to reach people. You can put them up at school, work, in hospitals, police stations, supermarkets, libraries...the list goes on. It can really help.
2. Presentations. Organizing a forum where you can reach people face to face is a great idea. You can hold them for students, for parents, for medical workers, policement, local employers, general public...anything you like. I realize that probably no one will do something like this, but it's something to think about. It's a much more effective way of reaching people.
3. Contact your mayor, governor, MP (for Canadians), etc. Ask them to get involved. They can do things like wear ribbons (red and black), help with leaflets, etc. It's important to get community leaders involved.
4. Contact newspapers. Do a few letters to the editor, maybe write a research piece or an 'expose' so to speak. You can ask to remain anonymous, obviously, so privacy shouldn't be an issue. And hell, if you're really brave, get someone to do an interview with you.
5. Spread the word online. Send out messages on the major sites (LJ and MySpace, for instance). Go to communities, send PMs to random people, write articles, blog entries...anything. After all, communication is one of the main reasons for the internet's existence.
This is a chance for the issue to get a little bit of understanding, to shed a little light on it. Right now, this is a completely grassroots movement. Governments are not getting involved, and they need to be doing so. The only way that will happen is if March 1st becomes KNOWN to the world. And it's up to us to make sure that happens.
You don't have to do much. A pamphlet here, a ribbon there...it doesn't have to be a big campaign. But PLEASE, if you feel strongly about this issue, get involved somehow.
This will be x-posted to pretty much every SI and mental health community I can get my hands on.