March 1st is Self-injury Awareness Day (SIAD), to be honest. Two Write Love On Her Arms is at the forefront of offering hope and help in the arena of depression and self harm. Founder Jamie Tworkowski recently spoke at TEDxMalibu on the subject of depression and young adults.
He shared a few facts:
- 20 million struggle with depression.
- Untreated depression is the leading cause of suicide.
- Suicide is the third leading cause of death.
- Two out of three who struggle with depression don’t seek help or treatment for it.
He shared an amazing strategy:
- What if we started asking better questions?
- What would look like to be a people who ask for help?
- Rather than asking people what they do, what if we ask them about their dreams?
- What if our conversations shifted from “How are you?” to “What makes you feel alive?”
Better questions. There’s something to it.
His brief talk is challenging and inspiring. Here’s a discussion guide for the talk.
So, go ahead. Start a better conversation with the people you encounter, you lead, the folks you walk alongside through life.
Amy Jacobs is the marketing strategist for young adult ministry at Lifeway. She asks a lot of questions. She’s going to start asking better questions.