Suicide Awareness Symbol: Meaning, Origin

Suicide awareness symbol is a special symbol used for an awareness in order to prevent suicide and discourage those who are suffering from suicide sym

Suicide Awareness Symbol

Suicide awareness symbol is a special symbol used for suicide awareness in order to prevent suicide and discourage those who are suffering from suicide and suicidal thoughts.

This article provides information on the origin of the suicide awareness symbol, its significance and other relevant information that are related to suicide awareness symbol.

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The Suicide Awareness Symbol

The suicide awareness symbol is semicolon. It is usually drawn as a tattoo on someone's wrist or on other parts of the body.

Another suicide awareness symbol is ribbon.

What Is A Suicide Awareness Ribbon?

The suicide awareness ribbon is a symbol that is used to bring awareness to the public about suicide and its prevention. The Suicide Awareness ribbon can be worn by individuals as a show of support or hung in public places.

Origin Of Suicide Awareness Symbol

The suicide awareness symbol (semi-colon) was founded by Amy Bleuel in 2013. The symbol was founded by Amy Bleuel as a movement against suicide in honour of her father, who died by suicide.

The International Association For Suicide Prevention in association with their partners launched the suicide prevention awareness ribbon in 2016. It is now recognized all over the world.

Suicide Awareness Symbol Meaning

Semi-Colon: The suicide awareness symbol, apart from being the face of a widely known movement, it has also its specific meaning. 

Logically, the suicide symbol meaning aligns so well with the movement of prevention against suicide and as such, those suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts are often advised to tattoo them on their body to serve as an encouragement of a better life.

What does the semicolon symbolise? The meaning of the suicide awareness symbol is a continuation of life. It is a metaphor for suicide prevention. According to The Project Semicolon, a non-profit organization,

"A semicolon is used when an author could’ve chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to,” Project Semicolon...The author is you, and the sentence is your life.”

Hence, instead of a person choosing to end his life, he can rather choose to continue, not to stop fighting for it.

On the organisation's official website, their mission also clearly states: "the nation’s most effective grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for people all over the world faced with mental illness.”

The semicolon is regarded as a vivid representation of strength in the middle of a storm.

 It is used as an affirmation of solidarity against a plethora of mental health issues including suicide, eating disorders and addictive behaviors.

Ribbon: The suicide awareness ribbon  is represented by colors yellow and orange. Although some organizations prefer using purple and turquoise as the suicide awareness color.

The suicide prevention Colors, that is yellow and orange, are used to indicate the light of a candle flame. This is attributed to the International Association For Suicide Prevention's "Light a Candle" campaign.

Aside this, it also works well with the “Out of the Darkness into the Light” arranged by partner organisations for WSPD and other activities.