Mental health non-profit To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) has announced its 12th annual suicide prevention campaign. Running through the end of September (Suicide Prevention Month), this year’s campaign revolves around the statement “The World Is Not Better Without You.”

On the campaign’s website, the organization wrote: “Suicide impacts every community on the planet. Globally, we lose 700,000 people to suicide each year, and it claimed more than 50,000 lives in the US in 2022. The ripple effect of grief and confusion from these losses can be felt around the world. There is work to be done. September is recognized as Suicide Prevention Month and serves as the foundation for one of our biggest campaigns of the year. What we believe about suicide determines what we do about suicide prevention. If we believe nothing can be done, nothing will be done. This is the first of many lies we tear down this month. Suicide prevention isn’t just crisis intervention. It isn’t reduced to knowing what to say or do in the last possible moment. It is prevention for a reason. It is every day steps and conversations that can help us stop the thoughts and isolation before it goes too far. Join us as we fight the myths and misinformation that have marked the conversation about suicide for too long. We all have a role we can play in carrying this truth: The world is not better without you.”

People can participate by purchasing the Suicide Prevention Pack, joining the conversation online by tagging @TWLOHA and using #NotBetterWithoutYou, and by donating to the campaign. All donations will go towards TWLOHA’s goal of raising $300,000, which will make it possible for the organization to sponsor 4,000+ hours of counseling and group therapy sessions, as well as help to expand the resources found in their FIND HELP Tool.

Throughout the month of September, TWLOHA will begin sharing action steps people can take to support themselves and others who might be experiencing thoughts of suicide. The organization is also encouraging people to start conversations, connect to valuable resources, and remind others that the world is not better without them.

“This year we’ve seen a drastic increase (72%) in applications for scholarships that are designed to meet urgent mental health care needs like therapy and support groups,” says Lindsay Kolsch, TWLOHA Co-Executive Director. “We know that mental health services are largely paid out of pocket, even for those with insurance and it’s simply not affordable or accessible for most people. The reality that 2022 saw the most recorded deaths by suicide in the US (50,000) in a single year adds urgency to meeting these needs.

 

We believe this campaign fights against suicide on a few fronts. With loneliness at an all-time high among teens, we recognize we’re also working to equip people with tools to do the work of suicide prevention before the crisis moment. This campaign, the social media content, the events, the pack—it’s all about creating a wide web of support so people know that they are not a burden, that help exists, and that things can change. We want desperately to help people stay.”

About TWLOHA

To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery. Since its start in 2006, they have donated over $3.5 million directly into treatment and recovery making it possible for people to access mental health care when they need it the most.

Each month, TWLOHA creates more than 9.5 million moments of hope through their online and social media presence for people in over 100 countries. And these moments lead to people taking the next step to find help as TWLOHA connects 3,000+ people monthly to mental health resources like crisis lines, support groups, and affordable local mental health resources through the FIND HELP Tool.

For more information, please visit: www.twloha.com

Follow TWLOHA online at:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/towriteloveonherarms

Twitter: www.twitter.com/twloha

Instagram: www.instagram.com/twloha