Oregon woman's tattoo raises awareness about depression
CANBY, OREGON - An Oregon woman is helping raise awareness about depression with a unique tattoo.
Twenty-year-old Bekah Miles got a tattoo on her leg. If you're looking at her the tattoo reads "I'm fine," but from her perspective it says "save me."
In a Facebook post Miles says she was diagnosed with depression last year and she was ready to share her struggle to help battle the stigma against mental illness. She hoped her tattoo would start a conversations.
In her post she wrote, "This is one of the most difficult things to open up about because it’s extremely hard for me to feel vulnerable…but this needs to be talked about. Mental illness is serious, but so shamed in our society."
She adds, "That’s why I got this tattoo; they are great conversation starters. This forces me to talk about my own struggle, and why the awareness of it is important. You’d be surprised by how many people YOU know that struggle with depression, anxiety, or other mental illness. I may only be one person, but one can save another...and that's all I could really ask for."
In a follow up post Miles wrote, "I never expected it to go beyond my friends and family. I thought reaching out to them was enough, but I am completely and utterly in awe of how far this has traveled. This is exactly what I wanted--to reach out to people and let them know that they are not alone."
Read her initial post here:
If you are struggling with depression you can get help by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1(800) 273-8255. Learn more here.