n Thursday, April 25, the campus community welcomed Jamie Tworkowski, founder of To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA), to Leffler Chapel and Performance Center. Tworkowski is a native of Melbourne, Fla., and the organization was founded there in 2006. Since then, the group has garnered international attention from millions of followers and supporters. TWLOHA strives to be a resource for people in peril, including those who struggle with drug and alcohol addictions, depression, suicide and self-injury.
According to Tworkowski, thoughts of forming the non-profit movement began when a close friend, Renee, was denied entrance into a rehabilitation facility after carving the word “FUCK-UP” into her forearm with a razor. The rehabilitation clinic claimed that they did not possess the necessary resources to treat Renee and could not guarantee her proper detox treatment; she was then given the stipulation that she needed to remain sober for five days before the clinic would admit her.
Affected very deeply by this incident, Tworkowski wrote a story which chronicled the events and complicated emotions of the ordeal, and T-shirts were sold to help pay for Renee’s eventual treatment at the facility after she remained sober for the required period. A MySpace page hosted the story of Tworkowski’s experience; titled “To Write Love On Her Arms,” the story – and its message – soon became a nationwide movement.
“I wanted to believe that she could find sobriety, that she could find … hope [and] freedom,” Tworkowski said. His faith in a brighter future for his struggling friend inspired him to reach out to others as well as attempt to encourage them to seek their own healing.
“We encounter pain in a lot of different ways,” Tworkowski said. From bullying to social networking to the influences of the mass media, there is no doubt that young people are under pressure. However, Tworkowski sees pain and struggle as a universal experience, reminding us that the social issues we struggle with as young adults are “not that different from 50 years ago.” Relationships, family ties, the deaths of loved ones, issues of sexuality and loneliness are all part of the human experience, and these things have existed for far longer than television or the Internet. “A lot of it is just related to being human,” Tworkowski said.
The organization often encounters individuals who have endured instances of suicide attempts, abuse, drug and alcohol addiction and the loss of family members and friends to these tragic events. TWLOHA’s mission is not to dwell on these hard times, Tworkowski said, but instead to redirect those involved to a brighter future where hope and help are within reach. One of the most important elements of TWLOHA’s work is encouraging those in trouble to seek help for themselves and to take advantage of the opportunities and services all around them. “Most people with depression don’t get help,” Tworkowski said. “More people need to know it’s okay to be honest and to ask for help.”
TWLOHA’s mission includes the assertion that “rescue is possible,” “freedom is possible” and “it’s possible to change.” Language like this is abundant in the organization’s mission statement and promotional material. While TWLOHA exists as a resource to those who are struggling, however, Tworkowski emphasized the importance of people taking the initiative necessary to make the changes they need for themselves. “We’re not trying to be a final solution,” he said. “We’re trying to be a bridge to people getting real help.” Regardless of the community that surrounds TWLOHA and the increase in awareness about the issues with which the organization deals, Tworkowski still prefers that those who are struggling seek help from professionals who can aid them in the complex processes of recovery.
“There’s a certain irony to it,” Tworkowski said in regard to the online community that TWLOHA has built. The organization has over 1.3 million “likes” on Facebook, yet, “We’re telling people to get off their computers and go do life with someone,” he said. This creates a contradiction in Tworkowski’s mind, because those who are struggling with these issues “need to connect with real people, real services.” The best assistance in times of trouble, he believes, is a community of real-life supporters and a network of supportive friends and family. And, of course, counseling and rehabilitation are always very much encouraged. “It’s something that you have to choose,” Tworkowski said.
Over the years, public response to TWLOHA’s mission and outreach efforts has been overwhelmingly positive and invigorating for Tworkowski and those who aid him in his work. On success stories of those who have found healing, he said, “That’s the stuff that keeps us going.”
The true nature of TWLOHA’s work on an individual level, he said, is “to try to let that person know that they’re not alone, that we’re sorry for the way they’ve been feeling and to encourage them to take that next step.”
When dealing with a friend or family member who is suffering from emotional pain and the physical effects of such struggles, Tworkowski encourages the establishment of an open, honest and loving dialogue between the concerned and the subject of concern. “We would encourage them to talk about it,” he said. “Start by being honest: ‘I’m worried about you, I care about you. What’s going on?’” Creating a dialogue of this nature between oneself and someone else can open the door to more effective communication, ease of expression, judgment-free and loving counsel and ultimately, a very important step toward identifying personal issues and working toward their resolution.
As the mission statement of To Write Love On Her Arms’ website states, “We live in a difficult world, a broken world.” But love, acceptance, hope and healing are not impossible, and the organization’s countless supporters, affiliates and professional team members work diligently each day to bring this message to all: “The vision is the possibility that your best days are ahead. The vision is the possibility that we’re more loved than we’ll ever know. The vision is hope, and hope is real. You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story.”
