Has overthinking become more prominent due to the increased time we are spending isolated with only our inner monologue as company? Willow Smith, professionally known as “Willow”, captures the experience of having overwhelming and unwanted thoughts in her song “Overthinking IT”. The song, released in 2019 and cowritten by Willow herself, describes an indecisive conversation […]
The song “Breaking the Habit” by Linkin Park was originally written by Mike Shinoda. The song vividly explains the painful feelings and internal monologues of someone struggling with addiction and self-harm. The person haunted by the unresolved traumas of the past, finds his temporary escapes in his addiction while shamefully keeping it a secret from others. Eventually […]
The song The Archer by Taylor Swift is the fifth track from her 2019 album Lover highlights a pattern of instability and interpersonal dysfunction that is characteristic of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Combat I’m ready for combat I say I don’t want that But what if I do? These lines suggest that the narrator is […]
In 2017, Caitlin Plestid (they/them) created the art installation to raise awareness for, and support those struggling with, self-harm. While in high school, Caitlin and someone close to them struggled with self-harm and both found the Butterfly Project helpful. The Butterfly Project is a coping strategy to help resist the urge to engage in self-harming behaviours. […]
“I think I’ve always struggled with my mental health. Even as a little girl I can remember being uncontrollably sad and stand-offish from people… I can remember feeling such sadness and hatred towards myself that I felt like I just needed to let it all out.” When university student Krista (name changed) was young, she […]
“Clumsy” by Canadian rock band Our Lady Peace is about a friend trying to reach out to someone who is engaging in self-harming behaviours. This individual excuses his self-injuries as being caused by external factors or accidents. The friend tries to identify with him by acknowledging that there are times when we don’t feel like ourselves, but still recognizes that his behaviour is serious and concerning. The most notable aspect of "Clumsy" is the friend’s persistent desire to […]
The song “Her Last Words” by Courtney Parker addresses the topics of depression, self-harm, and suicide from the perspective of a girl who is experiencing them. While the artist hasn’t been public about struggling with these issues, the song itself provides a distressing narrative of what someone going through depression feels like. Image Credit Feature: Mary Lock […]
The internet is rife with social media societies on many popular sites, including Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. #Ana, #Sue, #Cat… Translated, they mean Anorexia, Suicidal, and Self-Harm. By searching these tags, online users are exposed to a slew of posts from people experiencing the mental illnesses or issues tagged. On Instagram you can find pictures […]
The song “Cut” by recording artist Plumb highlights a struggle with self-harm, and the accompanying feelings of numbness and loneliness. As a teenager, Plumb experienced her own struggle with mental illness, specifically anxiety and panic attacks. Click here for the official video. Image Credit Feature: Richard George Davis
In her album, "romanticization of mental illness" Kelsey Weaver reveals an ongoing struggle with self-harm and self-medication.