After being diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and EDNOS, my life changed and I didn't think I could keep going.

My semicolon tattoo is a reminder of my strength and my courage to keep going through my mental health crisis. It is more than just art, it is a sign of how I decided to live while I was suicidal. It is a symbol of how I kept going when I wanted to end it all.

A semicolon is a place in a sentence where the author could decide to stop with a period but chooses not to. A semicolon is a reminder to pause, but keep going. My semicolon tattoo has been there as a reminder through my bad days. During every depressive episode, during every panic attack, every flashback, every day I felt suicidal and wanted to take my life, I looked at my semi-colon for an extra push to keep going. It is a reminder that when things get difficult, it is important to take a pause, a deep breath, and continue going when it feels like it needs to end.

More importantly, my tattoo is a sign to everybody and myself that I have struggled (and still struggle) with mental illness, but I haven't let it win. It is a powerful statement. It is a memento. It is an imperative part of my life. It shows that all of my hardships, battles, and difficulties with mental illness has not defeated me and that I have risen above my circumstances.

It is more than art, and it is more than "just another tattoo." It is a symbol of strength and triumph.

My story isn't over yet, and neither is yours.