Page 190 - Under the Cover of Darkness

people who self-harm at self-injury.net/media/famous-
self-injurers)
“What’s that butterfly on your arm?” The Butterfly Project
if you’re interested in spreading awareness of self-harm
and preventing it, please look up
The Butterfly Project on You
Tube. The Butterfly Project
suggests drawing a Butterfly on
your wrist – or any place you
might feel like cutting or
harming yourself. If you can get
someone else to draw the
butterfly onto you – even better,
give the butterfly a name. You could name it after
someone you love or who loves you or you could just use
a name you like or even the name of a famous person
you admire. (*obviously don’t use anything that might be
toxic or irritate your skin!) Then you must keep the
butterfly safe on your skin until it fades naturally. Do not
cut or harm yourself or the butterfly. When you look at
the butterfly, think of the person you named it after. The
person you love or who loves you. I know this is MUCH
easier said than done and to a person who is struggling
with self-harm it might seem like it’s over simplifying the
situation, but it is not intended to minimize or trivialize
the issue of self-harm or how strong the urge to
self-harm can be. However, it is a beautiful, simple idea
from a place of love. It might help a self-harmer if they
wear their butterfly and it might help spread awareness of
this problem if you are seen wearing your beautiful
butterfly and someone asks, “What’s that butterfly on
your arm?”