Sweet summertime.

The time where every student gets a vacay for three months! The time where those swimsuits come out and the winter coats are put away. Also, it's the time where long sleeve shirts are not a thing.

You wear t-shirts, shorts, crop tops, tank tops, about every other type of shirt that you can imagine but long sleeves don't make the list.

Now, you see a person who is and you stop for a second and think they're crazy. Did you ever wonder about the real reason that they're wearing long sleeves in the summer is? Did you ever think that there was a reason for this? Or was it just something that you saw and thought, "people are weird".

The truth is, this can be a very serious and dangerous sign that that person is not okay. They are destroying their body and are in the process of hiding it instead of reaching out for help. Maybe you ask yourself why someone would need to hide from everyone to see?

Well, the answer is plain and simple. Self-harm marks.

Does that bring out the definition of 'fine' to you? To me, that screamsthat someone is in dire need of help but doesn't have anywhere to turn to. That their only option to deal with the pain they are living with is to mutilate their body. Sometimes scars go away if you're lucky, but sometimes they don't.

The human mind works in mysterious ways and one thing about self-harm is that the people who do this are seeking attention so they can get help, they honestly believe that this is something that they have to do in order to feel better, as well as an addiction. This is just like a drug addiction, alcohol addiction, or even an eating disorder. It is all one in the same.

To these people, self-harm is their only option. It is the only way to take care of themselves, but they are WRONG.

Even something as simple as a checklist can sometimes help people get through the day. Making sure that you are taking care of yourself is critical whether that be sleeping, eating, or telling yourself that you don't need to hurt yourself to be okay. There are other ways that will help you just as much except that you won't have to be reminded of them every day because of the scars that it leaves.

If you do an alternative act it could not only save your life but help you overcome a disease that lasts a lifetime. It's not easy, nor will it ever be, but it will definitely be worth it.

It's easier to tell yourself why you need to self-harm, instead of saying why you will never do it again. If wearing long sleeves doesn't take over your life then that is how you know you are truly strong enough to overcome this.