If I ever get a tattoo, I want it to be something that will always mean a lot to me. After all, it’s no picnic to get a tattoo, and it’s even worse to have it removed!
There was a time not too long ago when tattoos were reserved for people living on the very fringes of society. They use to be the purview of pirates, prisoners, and punks.
Then, in the '70s and '80s, the popularity of punk music brought tattoos into the mainstream. These days, they’re so commonplace that it seems like every person you meet has one (or five).
While not everyone seems to consider the implications of their ink as carefully as they should, the trend in tattoos at the moment definitely seems to skew more and more towards the carefully-considered, like this sweet dad who wanted to match his daughter.
Tattoos are also becoming rallying cries in the fight against the stigmas of mental illness. Not long ago, we told you about the remarkable trend of the semicolon tattoo, which is symbolic of people who are in the process of growing past addiction, depression, or any number of other mental health problems.
Now, Bekah Miles, a student from Oregon, is making waves with her brilliant tattoo about depression. Check out her original Facebook post here, and scroll through the gallery to learn more.
Bekah Miles looks like any other college student looking forward to her junior year.
Underneath that happy facade, she has been struggling with depression for over a year, but wasn't sure how to tell anyone. Now, she's using her tattoo as a declaration, telling the world that it's time to destroy the stigma of mental illness, saying,
“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. We care so much for our physical health, but hardly a thing about our mental state.”
Her new tattoo demonstrates the shame of struggling with depression. Read normally, the tattoo reads “I’m fine.”
This is the common lie that we tell ourselves and others on every topic. This view of the tattoo is the one that outsiders see when they look at her. Miles says that, "To me, it means that others see this person that seems okay, but, in reality, is not okay at all. It reminds me that people who may appear happy, may be at battle with themselves."
But from Bekah Miles' perspective, the tattoo has a very different message, reading "Save me."
Miles knows that her own experience with mental illness is fairly representative of the country as a whole. Too often, we look at people and completely miss what's happening below the surface. Just by reaching out, you can change the course of someone's illness. This is a reminder from Miles, who says, "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."
You can learn more about Bekah Miles and her tattoo in the video below.
If Bekah's incredible mission to open dialogue about mental illness touched your heart, please SHARE on Facebook for anyone who is battling depression or knows someone who is! Together, we can help break down the stigma of mental health!
