Annyeonghaseyo!

I know you don't really know me, but I used to resort to self-harm. I struggled with it for quite some time before I 'quit' so to speak. I wished that I had more help so that I could have healed sooner. I recently came across this 'butterfly project'. If I had heard about this when I needed help, I probably would have recovered faster. So, I would like to share it with all of you.

Whether you self-harm or not, please read the following and support this. This is not my idea. I heard about this and I wanted to show my support.

Just so you know, there are many things that count as self harm: cutting, inflicting other kinds of wounds on yourself, taking drugs, indulging in alcohol, binge eating, starving oneself, and other types of destruction behavior. If you want to overcome your self-harm addiction, please take a look at the following steps of The Butterfly Project:

1. Draw a butterfly on any part of your body where you personally tend to inflict self-harm. If you do not cut or inflict wounds, then draw the butterfly anywhere you like on your body.

2. Name your butterfly! Since many of your loved ones are hurt when you personally inflict self-harm, you should write the name of a person who means a lot to you, so that you will not want to hurt him/her any more. Write the name underneath your butterfly. However, you can name your butterfly anything that want if you do not want to do the above.

3. Now, if you engage in any form of self-harm before your butterfly fades away by itself, you killed it. :'( If you don't, then HOORAY! It lives! and you succeeded!

4. Do NOT wash off the butterfly. You have to let it fade on it's own. I repeat, do not wash off your butterfly.

5. Repeat, giving yourself another butterfly and be as creative as you would like to be! Make an elaborate butterfly or a simple one or a bunch of butterflies each with a unique name. Draw two butterflies and give them a story. Whatever you like, just as long as you keep them alive. :)

6. Have someone else draw a butterfly on you. Any butterfly that someone else gives you is extra special. Take special care of these ones, just as you would the person who gave you the butterfly.

7. Spread the word. We need to let others know about this to help those who engage in self-harm. Repost this or write a poem or a story about a butterfly and explain the butterfly project at the end or something.

Thank you all for reading! And remember to never give up. Hearing about this made me think of the lyrics to one of my favorite songs... If you keep up with this you will be this:

"You butterfly now free of wound... fly vigorously butterfly... It's time to break your prolonged silence and cry out toward freedom, so that you can live the way you are, spread your wings, Realize your existence. You're alive, dazzeling. You fly up high in the sky..."

Don't ever give up!

If you ever need help or someone to talk to, please reach out to your loved ones or feel free to message me anytime. I know what it is like. I'm here for you anytime.

Thanks again for reading! Best wishes to all of you!

* [Butterfly by Super Junior (english translation)]