Art therapy helps Bradford woman with mental health
Jessica, who is 27, has suffered with her mental health since she was a teenager, and had scars on her inner arms from many episodes of self-harming.
But she now has a pattern of vines and leaves instead of scars.
Jessica’s mental ill health has included making suicide attempts and spending time in hospital.
She spent a month in Lynfield Mount in Bradford last year after the stress of losing her business was a trigger which made her more ill.
Jessica has shared her experiences for World Suicide Prevention Day after benefiting from therapeutic sessions at Mind in Bradford, particularly the art group.
Jessica now runs a small business on Facebook making dreamcatchers, which she finds therapeutic as well as giving her a chance to use her creativity.
Some of the profits from each one sold is given to Mind in Bradford to support our work in the district.
Her tattoo also includes the semi-colon design ; which is used by suicide survivors and denotes the idea that your life is not over yet.
Figures from the World Suicide Prevention Day campaign show that suicide is the 15th leading cause of death globally, with 800,000 people dying by suicide annually.
With an average of 135 people affected by each suicide death, this equates to 108 million people bereaved by suicide worldwide every year, and relatives and close friends of those who die in this way are a high-risk group for suicide themselves.
For more information: