The World Health organization in 2010 reported that 121 million people worldwide suffer from depression.
Eighteen million of those sufferers reside in the United States, and two out of three people who battle depression never attempt to seek help.
To Write Love on Her Arms aims to remedy this.
The new student group claims to exist as ‘a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide,’ according to its mission statement.
Sophomore Erin Gillingham took it upon herself to create a safe place for students to come and discuss topics relevant to these kind of heavy issues by founding USI’s U chapter.
Gillingham first became interested in the outreach organization during the midst of a struggle in high school.
During that time, she heard the lead singer of musical group Thrice interviewed on Fuse talking briefly about the movement and later began her research online.
She was compelled by the stories shared on the website.
“It gave me courage to speak up, that it was okay that I could ask for help if I needed it,” she said.
Putting her passion for the movement into action, Gillingham then took a semester off school to intern for To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) during the spring of 2010 out of their headquarters in Cocoa, Fl.
Since returning to school, Gillingham has been trying to launch a U. chapter here at USI, a process that just recently became official on Sunday when their first meeting took place.
“It’s definitely a hefty process,” she said.
The process requires gaining approval from both the university and the organization’s headquarters. From there, a constitution is written and an advisor to oversee the chapter must be designated.
The idea behind U chapters is to carry out the group’s mission through hosting events, discussions and meetings on university campuses.
This concept is fairly new to the organization, two years in running, and USI has jumped on the bandwagon.
“It’s not going to be a school function where it’s leave-all-your-crap-at-the-door like a lot of them say. It’s going to be a bring-all-your-crap kind of place,” Gillingham said.
The group’s campus advisor, Leslie Smith, is USI’s assistant director at the counseling center. Gillingham and Smith first met early in the school year when Gillingham was writing a story for The Shield on suicide prevention.
Gillingham said she recognized the passion for the topic in Smith’s voice and decided to ask her to be the advisor.
“It’s going to be a lot of teamwork, not just one person leading the pack. We’re very community-based. Because you aren’t meant to live alone, you don’t have to struggle alone. And a lot of people are ashamed to ask for help, “ Gillingham said.
“You truly become connected to someone when you have to walk with them through a dark time or stand by their side when the world is just beating them up. TWLOHA is a place for everyone and anyone,” she said.
Sophomore psychology major Kayla Grehl said that the organization has been a part of her life for many years and was excited to find out that USI was hosting a U chapter here on campus.
“The meeting was awesome,” Grehl said. “I look forward to seeing what the U chapter has to offer this year and the years to continue.”
“I really hope that it brings to USI a safe place for students to come and hang out and discuss. It’s not always going to be these heavy topics. We’ll talk about pain, hope, fear, joy, happiness: all the things that make life, life,” Gillingham said.
