By Gavin Lindahl
Contributing Writer
Depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide are common topics in the news today. A new club at Bonaventure strives to support those affected by self-harm.
The Bonaventure chapter of To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA), a non-profit organization that aims to help people affected by depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide, hosted a speaker Wednesday to discuss the issue of self-harm.
Chad Moses, a TWLOHA spokesperson, shared his story of depression, addiction, self-injury and attempted suicide with Bonaventure students.
Moses said he hit rock bottom following the death of a beloved parish member. He built a shell of himself, putting up a tough façade, he said.
“When you build a wall around yourself, you have to get the bricks from somewhere,” Moses said. “Those bricks are coming from inside you. And when you finally have that wall— there’s nothing left inside.”
Hoping to numb his mind, Moses said he abused prescription painkillers and drank constantly. He would mix the two in attempts to commit suicide, hoping his parents would falsely believe it was a horrific result of partying too hard.
After being thrown out on the street, Moses reluctantly turned to his only remaining friend, Kim. Instead of dumping Moses off somewhere, Kim took him home with her. She confronted him, hoping to find the truth buried deep within her longtime friend. Moses said he opened up and dumped all the baggage he had been carrying for years. He then confronted her, asking her if she was going to abandon him just as every other friend did.
“No. We can make it through this,” Kim said.
According to Moses, it was that word, “we”, that inspired him to turn his life around. For once, he wasn’t alone.
In a society where addiction and depression are all around us, Moses said he offered a striking piece of comfort.
“For every Chad out there, there’s a Kim.”
lindahg12@bonaventure.edu
