Battle Scars

According to nami.org, 1 out of 5 teens have experienced or still have a mental illness and 1 in 2 of those teens cut themselves. Many people struggle with depression, self harm, or any mental illness. Victims of these struggles are ridiculed or ostracized nearly every day. This should not be the case.

A few weeks ago, I wore shorts to school for the first time in almost 2 years because of the scars that I have. I just always feared that some ignorant person would say something to me. And I wasn’t wrong. A student in the hallway walked up to me and said, “you shouldn’t wear shorts, it’s disgusting to see those emo scars.”

Those scars have been there for over 2 years now and will be on my body for a very long time, if not the rest of my life. I already have the reminder, the pain and sadness I went through and the mistakes that I made putting those scars on my body every day, so I really do not need someone coming up to me, reminding me they’re there and that they’re noticeable.

If you see someone who has scars, do not mention the scars because 9 out of 10 times they are already thinking about it and anxious about them being seen. Secondly, be respectful of them and don’t mention it. You have no idea what is going on in their life and it is none of your business.

And lastly, for those of you who have scars like me, you are all beautiful and you should not be ashamed of your scars; some people are just mean or don’t understand it at all. Be proud of yourself that you got through that rough time in your life. So what if there are battle scars?