Many Ball State University students are participating in a "To Write Love on Her Arms Day" event Friday.
The event is a non-profit movement that raises awareness of depression, self-injury, addiction and suicide. Anyone can write "love" on their arm to get people talking about these issues.
"If someone sees you have something written on you, then they'll ask about it," junior elementary education major Jason Bullock said. "To provide awareness is a great way to explain that you believe in fighting against [depression]."
Bullock said he's writing love on his arm today because he had friends in high school who dealt with depression and cutting.
"They want people to see they're going through a lot and they need people to talk to and to listen to their problems," he said. "We're a fast pace society and we deal with our own immediate lives and not about others and what they're going through."
Sophomore pre-med major Ashley Zahrt said she's been participating in the event for several years.
"I think it's important because a lot of people struggle with depression," she said. "It's not something people are talking about and it makes it worse. [Talking] could help someone stop hurting themselves."
Zahrt said TWLOHA is important because several of her friends have struggled with depression, suicidal thoughts and cutting. A lot of people don't talk about depression and self-injury so it's almost like a secret, she said.
"Some of my friends I didn't even know about until after they started getting better," she said. "It's like, ‘How did I overlook that?'"
Zahrt said she wondered if she could have done more for a 16-year-old friend after he committed suicide. Even though he had trouble overcoming drug abuse and had family issues, she said his death was still shocking.
"It's one of those things where you're like, ‘How does that happen and could I have done something?'" she said. "If he had known there were other options and people who cared, would he have felt comfortable talking?"
Word of Friday's event at Ball State was spread through a Facebook group that encourages people to join and upload photos of the "love" on their arms. Zahrt said she might take a picture of her and her friends' arms and upload it onto TWLOHA's Facebook group.
Junior meteorology student Candace Boren said she thinks TWLOHA is important because it makes people aware of how to handle the difficult times. A lot of young people deal with depression and self-injury, she added.
"I knew [my friend] was going through depression but I didn't know how to respond to that," she said
People also tend to be afraid of putting a burden on friends with depression by asking about it, even though that's what they need, Boren said.
"It's about letting people know they need to respond to these things with love and [to] not just tell people what to do," she said.
Bullock said everyone should just stop and listen to those in need.
"We need to enjoy life and what's going on around us," he said. "Sit with others and listen to their problem because it could help or even save their life."
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