Every tattoo has a story and for the month of May, Mental Health Awareness Month, we’ll be highlighting tattoo stories rooted in an individual’s mental health journey. For our final story, we are highlighting Melina’s mental health journey.
When Melina’s mother was defrauded out of $50,000, it affected Melina more deeply than her mother could have ever imagined. With her mother widowed and suffering from major depression, Melina would call her every day. The day she didn’t call, because she was moving apartments, was the day her mother became a victim to fraud, which led to Melina believing she was part of the reason it happened.
This prompted Melina to find the nearest tattoo shop and have a piece done on her forearm. She doesn’t remember the artist or the shop she got it done at, she just remembers the feeling of urgency in needing to get a tattoo to help cope with the situation.
We all have coping mechanisms and getting tattooed is one of Melina’s. “It’s not the prettiest tattoo, it’s not even finished,” she says. “I don’t even remember where I went to go get it – but all in all it’s a story.”
“Regardless of the situation, your mental health can affect everyone around you. Although this story doesn’t focus solely on my personal mental health story, it’s based on my mom’s and how I coped with her struggles. All in all, it doesn’t matter how you choose to cope with something you’re going through, as long as it’s helping you heal and grow.”
Since that incident, Melina takes the time to call her mother every single day to make sure she’s okay. It’s important to be there for friends, family and even acquaintances. We’d want the same if it was us.
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. If you need some advice or want to talk to someone in an open but confidential environment, contact your local mental health organization for all sorts of support and guidance.
Similarly, if you think you’re a victim of fraud and need support, or want to learn more, you can do exactly that here.