Recently, the hashtag #cut4zayn went rampant on Twitter. There were graphic images of teens actively involved in self harm. The imagery was alarming and triggering to many of us mental health activists. Marisa, the content manager for Stigma Fighters Canada and writer at Mad Girl’s Lament reached out to me with an idea. As someone who struggled with self harm for years, she wanted to have an open discussion about the nature of the behavior and how the #cut4zayn hashtag impacted her. Immediately I thought of Courtney, the content manager for Stigma Fighters Teen and write at Courtney’s Voice. Courtney is a 17-year-old mental health activist, and a survivor of sexual abuse. She lives with PTSD and has spoken openly about self harm.
Courtney and Marisa got together and had a candid discussion about self harm and how the #cut4zayn hashtag impacted both of them on a personal level. Watch their talk here:
This is disturbing and it goes the general ignorance regarding mental illness itself. It may or may not have the same effect or influence but Marilyn Manson has been promoting self harm since he came on the scene 25 years ago. It’s disgusting. The immediate impact of something like this is dismissed as silliness by many promoting it. There’s just a general lack sensitivity, understanding, and empathy here.