Semicolon movement raises suicide awareness

Gisborne tattoo artist Tessa Campbell uses her skills on Jara Waaka to help spread awareness of suicide and depression. The local artist has made a plea to the public for people to make a stand by getting a special tattoo of a semicolon, a symbol of suicide awareness through the global movement Project Semicolon. She opened her studio on Saturday especially for the cause and all of the proceeds of the day have been donated to local families affected by suicide. Picture by Shaan Te Kani

GISBORNE tattoo artist Tessa Campbell is using the power of ink and social media to help people choose to stay alive.

Last Friday Tessa made a public plea on Facebook, asking people to make a stand on suicide awareness and depression by getting a special tattoo. It came after she recently lost a dear friend to suicide.

She opened her shop on Saturday to exclusively do suicide awareness tattoos, with all proceeds going to local families affected by suicide.

There was an overwhelming response and she raised $2000.

The suicide awareness tattoo is a semicolon, which symbolise the global movement Project Semicolon.

The movement’s motto is: “A semicolon is used when an author could have chosen to end their sentence but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your life.”

“I just thought I’ve got to do something,” said Tessa. “This whole community is affected by suicide and depression. It’s talked about but then again, it’s not.

“Putting up posters and TV ads aren’t enough. There needs to be more.”

Tessa feels there is not enough awareness in the community of where people can go for help that is easily accessible, where they can feel safe, and not be judged or turned away.

Avenue of communication“There needs to be an avenue of straight communication,” she said.

“A friend of mine had suicidal thoughts but was turned away from a local service because they hadn’t actually attempted to end their life. They had only thought about it.

“At what point do you need to be to be deemed serious or critical?”

Tessa has become an advocate simply by speaking up, as well as providing a shoulder to lean on for some of her clients.

She received numerous private messages and phone calls from people after her Facebook plea.

Many shared their personal experiences of losing loved ones or of their own battles with depression.

“A lot of girls are self-harming. I cover up their scars. Some of them have been molested. They turned their emotional switch off so their way of feeling pain was to cut and self-harm. They felt that they were worthless.

“Some would also cut themselves because it would prepare them for the pain they would get from their abuser.

“These are girls in our own town. They are from all walks of life, all races.

“I’ve formed so many friendships with these people. They come in and talk and I listen, but if I see that they need more help I don’t know where I should send them?”

Just by listening to people that come through her studio Tessa has identified a number of reasons that lead to depression and suicide in our community.

“Bullying on social media, sexual abuse, financial stress, sexuality, and grief from losing a loved one.

“It’s the debt you get into with P (methamphetamine). When you’re owing, some think it’s better off that they kill themselves.

“Sometimes it’s when they’re coming down off drugs.

“It’s when you can’t feed your kids or you have relationship problems. The list goes on.

“In relation to P, there’s no rehabilitation centre in Gisborne. There’s no place for them to feel safe so they can get better.”

The semicolon tattooJara Waaka was one of the many people who received a semicolon tattoo on Saturday.

“I’ve had suicidal thoughts myself,” she said. “I’ve also lost loved ones to suicide. There needs to be more awareness with everyone. I think everyone has either been depressed or has had suicidal thoughts, whether you want to admit it or not.

“There is a judgement of shame placed on people who are depressed or have had suicidal thoughts.”

Tessa says if anyone opens up about having thoughts of ending their life, it should always be taken seriously.

“When someone tries to reach out and they’re told, ‘don’t be stupid’ or ‘you’re only doing it for attention’, well, obviously they are. They’re asking for help so let’s help one another.

“We need to pull together as a community, a community with no division. We can’t change what is done but we can help change the way we move forward.”