“All Self-Harmers are Suicidal and Seek Attention” That statement is, sadly, the ultimate stigma of self-harm. The media has played a small part with this stigma, portraying self-injurers as being the ones who sit quietly in the corner, cutting their arms and crying. (read: Self-Injurers and Their Common Personality Traits) Wrong. Sadly, this is how many people see self-harmers when, in reality, many self-harmers do not fit into a particular clique. In high school, I was a typical music geek. I was a serious ballet dancer, performed in musicals, and did Colorguard in the marching band. I laughed along with friends and pushed out a smile when teachers walked by. However, leather bracelets covered the self-harm scars I was trying to hide and bathrooms were where I hid when I couldn’t stop the thoughts in my head from yelling at me – telling me to hurt myself. I did not feel as talented as those around me and put on a charade day after day. I was not cutting myself to kill myself every time I made a mark. I was cutting for reasons that those around me couldn’t understand.

Finding healthy alternatives to self-injury can be stressful. Sometimes, it’s tough finding someone who understands the emotions and thoughts connected with self-harm. Many people hate thinking about counseling or talking about their self-harm because, well, it is too personal. So, if you’re too nervous to jump into therapy or tell someone you self-injure, where can you go? What can you do? Why not dive into a good book? A TV show? A movie?

Biting nails. Popping zits. Picking blisters. Scratching scabs. Who can honestly say they have not done any of the above? If you said you haven’t, I do not believe you. We are all human and we all have little habits we do, sometimes without even realizing it. Some people will spend fifteen minutes in the mirror just picking at the pimples or zits or blackheads on their face. Before a big test, people tend to bite their nails and hangnails, sometimes until they bleed. Surprise, surprise – these are self-harming behaviors.

For part two in my Self Injury Awareness Day video series, I sat down for a one-on-one interview with singer/songwriter Chris Pureka, the artist who provided the song “Cruel and Clumsy” for my awareness project. In the interview, we talk about using writing as a healthy coping mechanism and self-injury alternative, as well as what it’s like to write songs that deal with such deep and painful subjects, like self-harm, depression and suicide.

On March 1, which is widely known as "Self Injury Awareness Day", I put together a video collaboration with people across the globe to inspire awareness, hope, love, and recovery for mental illness and self-injury.

One of the biggest misconceptions about self-injury is that only females self-injure. This could not be further from the truth! Males self-injure too, in fact new research suggests it could be far more common than most people think. This video blog will give facts and insight into self-injury in males.

I have noticed that a lot of people think that only young adolescent, teenage girls self-injure. It's one of the most inaccurate stereotypes facing self-injurers. And I'm not the only one who feels this way. When I asked current self-injurers who visit my site what they thought the biggest misconception about self-injury was, a majority noted it was the perception that only teenagers self-injure. As an adult, I can attest that adults self-injure, too - and, in this video blog, I aim to dispel that stereotype!

The topic of self-injury has become more prevalent in the media and society recently, but it still remains a taboo and greatly misunderstood subject. In this video, I will give some hard facts about self-injury, as well as dispel some myths and misconceptions surrounding it.