I'm Not Okay With This

Dear everyone,

I have something to say.

Our culture is killing our children.

This weekend, I worked at a D-Now at a friend's church. I was assigned to the Blue Team (Deja Blue!!! We rocked!!!), and I had 9 8th grade girls at my host home. We had fun. We learned about the Gospel. Kids came to know Christ. It was amazing.

Over the weekend, I also had to refer two girls for further counseling to the main ministry staff.

Depression.

Self harm.

Suicide.

We're talking about 13 year old girls here. Beautiful 13 year old girls who desire to end their lives. Smart middle school kids who take a knife to their skin to get through the day. Children who have already seen so much hurt and pain and sorrow, and have no reason to keep going. 

I'm not okay with this.

Many of you know the story of how God rescued me from my own depression and self harm. The story of how it shaped my identity and changed me to the core. The story of how I would not change a day of my depression because I see how God can use my story to influence others.

I thank God for my struggles. I thank God for the anxiety and the tears and the long nights and morning that seemed to never come. I thank God for the fear and shame and pain and hurt.

That said, I'm not okay with the rising statistics.

According to statistics from 2011:

• 40% of kids attempting suicide made their first suicide attempt in elementary or middle school.
• 1 in 9 kids attempt suicide by the time they graduate high school.
• Suicide rates rise quickly at 6th grade, and peak about 2 years later.
• The average age of students who have attempted suicide multiple times made their first attempt around 3rd grade.

Take a second and read those statistics again. Let that sink in. Realize the implications of this.

Realize that those statistics are from 2011. It's 2015, people.

It's not hard to see that the statistics on the rise.

And that's just suicide.

Although self-harmers are at an increased risk for attempting/committing suicide, they are NOT the same thing. 

Self-harm is defined by an intentional injury to one's own body for with non-leathal intentions. Cutting, burning, snapping with a rubber band... the list is long and the options are many. Cutting is probably the most known, but is not the only option.

I'm not okay with this. And I want to make a difference.

Today, March 1st, is National Self Harm Awareness Day.

I'm asking you to join me in trying to make a difference.

Not by doing, but by being.

By showing love.

By caring.

By knowing.

By deciding that it's not okay.

Maybe you know someone who struggles with either of these very closely related issues.

Maybe you can make a difference.

- Emily -