- Feb 25, 2004
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Caution: Speech has some graphics... please take caution... may trigger.
One of my friends wrote this speech for a meeting. I'm not sure if it was a school board meeting or what... but she did it. And she opened alot of people's eyes with this speech. She now wants to go to schools and make speeches to the teens about SI and how they can help others or help themselves. It really touched me because she has spoken the words I haven't been able to say. I just wanted to share with you that people do care... people do want to help. It's just going to take time. Meke has helped to spread the awareness... we should too... There is a way to spread the awareness without letting people know that you yourself struggle with this... You can help someone else if you just use your voice. Hope you enjoy this as much as I have.
"I dare you to peer through,
The shadows of my mind,
And see into the darkness,
That has become my reality.
The constant drive,
Of this tragic addiction,
Pounding like a massive drum,
Consuming my mind
Finally I am finding my release.
No longer trapped,
In a world of holes, silent torture
Found a voice,
For the child screaming inside.
A blinding panic of pain,
Consumed by my agony...
Yet for that moment,
I am free!
Good morning, judges, ladies and gentlemen,
Self inflicted violence, a growing trend in young people today. Yet so often this topic is not discussed, we are covering it up in our schools, our homes and society in general, choosing to ignore the silent screams of a generation of hurting young people. Today I want you to feel confronted; I want to open your eyes to this movement and most of all I want to challenge you to be out about self-inflicted injury.
Self mutilation, self harm, self injury, cutting, bruising, burning, just a few of the many terms tossed around in our society yet all hold a certain stigma, a certain sense of being wrong and societally unacceptable. Why is this? Perhaps we do not understand, we judge out of ignorance? Perhaps we fail to see the deeply rooted agony that causes these actions, or maybe we simply prefer to ignore the issue altogether, pretend it isnt happening.
Today I want to talk to you about what exactly self-injury is, some possible reasons why it occurs, and also ways that we can reduce and prevent it. But more than anything I want to challenge you to open your eyes, to look around, and to chooses not to judge, but rather see the truth of what lays beneath-what haunts the minds of so many of our young people today.
There are many definitions for what self-injury is. In the context of my speech today, I am referring to self-injury as any form of physical pain inflicted on oneself. I have heard many people who were cutters say that they were told to put ice on their arms, or flick themselves with rubber bands-but ladies and gentlemen, this is not a long-term solution, rather it is simply a way of covering the problem. What we need to do is o look deeper, to fix the underlying issues that drive such desperate actions.
I have heard many people say-why would anyone hurt themselves? A very valid question. Most of us spend the majority of our lives avoiding pain, yet so many young people are involved in these self-harming habits, the possible reasons could fill an A4 page.
Relieving anger. Escape from emptiness, depression, and feelings of unreality, easing tension, providing relief. Escaping numbness: many of those who self-injure say they do it in order to feel something, to know that they're still alive, I wonder if anyone stops to consider the way our society is impacting young people. Due to increasing technology It is more and more difficult to distinguish between what is or isnt real. I recall a line from a popular song which stated . When everything feels like the movies, and you bleed just to know youre alive.
Other self-injurers state that they hurt themselves as a way of communicating to others the extent of their inner turmoil, Communicating a need for support and validating their emotional pain, the wounds can serve as evidence that those feelings are real.
In the worst of cases, some children harm themselves with one heartbreaking goal in mind preventing suicide.
However, perhaps the most effective way to convey the true reasons, the motives that truly drive those who self injure, is to share with you the words of some of the young people themselves .
one young girl writes
for me, cutting is a way of expressing the inexpressible, releasing anguish for which I can never find words.
Another young person writes.
Though Im silent, cant you see, pain overflowing, controlling me, I scream my anguish through the cuts on my arms, and cry out my pain through my many poems.
Yet another writes I feel the hate, the surging, horrible feeling,
That tempts me to scratch, rip at my own flesh.
From websites, chat boards, online diaries children speak with wisdom beyond their years
Sometimes tears are not enough to express the inner agony of the human soul.
a life of torture, eternal pain, I need a release, I am going insane
Finally it comes out, this wretched anger, I am free to hate, to show myself how much I am hurting inside.
And all of them, so ashamed, utterly degraded by the fact that they simply do not know how to deal with some inner turmoil. Who are we to judge how can society condemn and ridicule their pain? These children are hiding in the shadows, masking the unacceptable truth. And I want to challenge you today; I want to send a message to society to come out about self inflicted violence. We need to stop closing our eyes to this problem. I have seen teachers in schools notice a student who has the wrong colour nail polish on, and never even see the fact that their arms are slashed to pieces. This problem will not go away just because we fail to recognise it. We have speeches in our schools about suicide, drugs and alcohol, yet the moment someone says the words self-mutilation we shy away!
Yet this is a tragic addiction. Almost all people who self harm state that it has been more difficult then they ever imagined to stop,
Again this is best expressed through the words of some of the young people themselves, who state .
Don't try it. Don't ever ever ever try it. After I'd done it just once...I was addicted.
I think theres always a reason a person start, after you're addicted there isnt always a reason....
Its an addiction. Finally you realise there is a way to express your pain, and that feeling is worth it, even though It only lasts a moment.
There is no quick fix to a problem so deeply rooted in the pain that runs to the core of our society. We will never solve this problem by some simple solution. However, I want to challenge you with a thought today. Why do we see self-injury as wrong? I want to suggest that we may see it as a wrong way of expressing our pain. But I want to ask you this what is the right way? Who is teaching our children the right way ? I feel for the most part that nobody is.
We are failing to provide our young people with the skills necessary to deal with the many problems so rampant in society today, and so they are turning to the only way that they know how. Yet when they do this, when they express their pain, we shun them, and I want to suggest that in todays society we are constantly masking the truth, hiding the pain, and we are teaching our children that it is wrong to express this. There is no solution, however, surely it could only be of benefit to acknowledge pain, to encourage our children to express what is going on inside . and perhaps one step towards this is to understand those who self harm, to remove the stigma and the shame they feel for expressing their pain, and to come out about self inflicted violence, because we cannot begin to solve a problem until we are willing to admit it.
In closing today, I would like to leave you with a very pertinent quote by Sharon Klayman Farber who states, when the body weeps tears of blood, we must ask ourselves what terrible sorrows cannot be spoken."
By-Mareka
One of my friends wrote this speech for a meeting. I'm not sure if it was a school board meeting or what... but she did it. And she opened alot of people's eyes with this speech. She now wants to go to schools and make speeches to the teens about SI and how they can help others or help themselves. It really touched me because she has spoken the words I haven't been able to say. I just wanted to share with you that people do care... people do want to help. It's just going to take time. Meke has helped to spread the awareness... we should too... There is a way to spread the awareness without letting people know that you yourself struggle with this... You can help someone else if you just use your voice. Hope you enjoy this as much as I have.
"I dare you to peer through,
The shadows of my mind,
And see into the darkness,
That has become my reality.
The constant drive,
Of this tragic addiction,
Pounding like a massive drum,
Consuming my mind
Finally I am finding my release.
No longer trapped,
In a world of holes, silent torture
Found a voice,
For the child screaming inside.
A blinding panic of pain,
Consumed by my agony...
Yet for that moment,
I am free!
Good morning, judges, ladies and gentlemen,
Self inflicted violence, a growing trend in young people today. Yet so often this topic is not discussed, we are covering it up in our schools, our homes and society in general, choosing to ignore the silent screams of a generation of hurting young people. Today I want you to feel confronted; I want to open your eyes to this movement and most of all I want to challenge you to be out about self-inflicted injury.
Self mutilation, self harm, self injury, cutting, bruising, burning, just a few of the many terms tossed around in our society yet all hold a certain stigma, a certain sense of being wrong and societally unacceptable. Why is this? Perhaps we do not understand, we judge out of ignorance? Perhaps we fail to see the deeply rooted agony that causes these actions, or maybe we simply prefer to ignore the issue altogether, pretend it isnt happening.
Today I want to talk to you about what exactly self-injury is, some possible reasons why it occurs, and also ways that we can reduce and prevent it. But more than anything I want to challenge you to open your eyes, to look around, and to chooses not to judge, but rather see the truth of what lays beneath-what haunts the minds of so many of our young people today.
There are many definitions for what self-injury is. In the context of my speech today, I am referring to self-injury as any form of physical pain inflicted on oneself. I have heard many people who were cutters say that they were told to put ice on their arms, or flick themselves with rubber bands-but ladies and gentlemen, this is not a long-term solution, rather it is simply a way of covering the problem. What we need to do is o look deeper, to fix the underlying issues that drive such desperate actions.
I have heard many people say-why would anyone hurt themselves? A very valid question. Most of us spend the majority of our lives avoiding pain, yet so many young people are involved in these self-harming habits, the possible reasons could fill an A4 page.
Relieving anger. Escape from emptiness, depression, and feelings of unreality, easing tension, providing relief. Escaping numbness: many of those who self-injure say they do it in order to feel something, to know that they're still alive, I wonder if anyone stops to consider the way our society is impacting young people. Due to increasing technology It is more and more difficult to distinguish between what is or isnt real. I recall a line from a popular song which stated . When everything feels like the movies, and you bleed just to know youre alive.
Other self-injurers state that they hurt themselves as a way of communicating to others the extent of their inner turmoil, Communicating a need for support and validating their emotional pain, the wounds can serve as evidence that those feelings are real.
In the worst of cases, some children harm themselves with one heartbreaking goal in mind preventing suicide.
However, perhaps the most effective way to convey the true reasons, the motives that truly drive those who self injure, is to share with you the words of some of the young people themselves .
one young girl writes
for me, cutting is a way of expressing the inexpressible, releasing anguish for which I can never find words.
Another young person writes.
Though Im silent, cant you see, pain overflowing, controlling me, I scream my anguish through the cuts on my arms, and cry out my pain through my many poems.
Yet another writes I feel the hate, the surging, horrible feeling,
That tempts me to scratch, rip at my own flesh.
From websites, chat boards, online diaries children speak with wisdom beyond their years
Sometimes tears are not enough to express the inner agony of the human soul.
a life of torture, eternal pain, I need a release, I am going insane
Finally it comes out, this wretched anger, I am free to hate, to show myself how much I am hurting inside.
And all of them, so ashamed, utterly degraded by the fact that they simply do not know how to deal with some inner turmoil. Who are we to judge how can society condemn and ridicule their pain? These children are hiding in the shadows, masking the unacceptable truth. And I want to challenge you today; I want to send a message to society to come out about self inflicted violence. We need to stop closing our eyes to this problem. I have seen teachers in schools notice a student who has the wrong colour nail polish on, and never even see the fact that their arms are slashed to pieces. This problem will not go away just because we fail to recognise it. We have speeches in our schools about suicide, drugs and alcohol, yet the moment someone says the words self-mutilation we shy away!
Yet this is a tragic addiction. Almost all people who self harm state that it has been more difficult then they ever imagined to stop,
Again this is best expressed through the words of some of the young people themselves, who state .
Don't try it. Don't ever ever ever try it. After I'd done it just once...I was addicted.
I think theres always a reason a person start, after you're addicted there isnt always a reason....
Its an addiction. Finally you realise there is a way to express your pain, and that feeling is worth it, even though It only lasts a moment.
There is no quick fix to a problem so deeply rooted in the pain that runs to the core of our society. We will never solve this problem by some simple solution. However, I want to challenge you with a thought today. Why do we see self-injury as wrong? I want to suggest that we may see it as a wrong way of expressing our pain. But I want to ask you this what is the right way? Who is teaching our children the right way ? I feel for the most part that nobody is.
We are failing to provide our young people with the skills necessary to deal with the many problems so rampant in society today, and so they are turning to the only way that they know how. Yet when they do this, when they express their pain, we shun them, and I want to suggest that in todays society we are constantly masking the truth, hiding the pain, and we are teaching our children that it is wrong to express this. There is no solution, however, surely it could only be of benefit to acknowledge pain, to encourage our children to express what is going on inside . and perhaps one step towards this is to understand those who self harm, to remove the stigma and the shame they feel for expressing their pain, and to come out about self inflicted violence, because we cannot begin to solve a problem until we are willing to admit it.
In closing today, I would like to leave you with a very pertinent quote by Sharon Klayman Farber who states, when the body weeps tears of blood, we must ask ourselves what terrible sorrows cannot be spoken."
By-Mareka
you go girl! no one should keep silent... this page will deffiately help any readers see abit of what we know. give Meke a hug for for me. turning your hurts into this kind of passion... must be very freeing.
