Mainers line up to ink solidarity in mental illness struggle

Aug. 09--AUGUSTA, Maine -- Saylorink Tattoo didn't officially open its doors until 10 a.m. Saturday, but by 9:45 a line of people stretched out the door, all waiting to have a small semicolon etched on their bodies as a mark of their struggle -- or that of someone they love -- with mental illness.

Lisa McGrotty, 40, and her sister, Melanie Redd, 42, both of Hallowell, were first in line, well before the 10 a.m. starting time. They debated where to place their semicolons -- on an ear or a wrist, or maybe ...

"I have bipolar type II," Redd said, "and we have a lot of family with some pretty serious mental health issues."

"We do a relatively good job coping," McGrotty said. "Sometimes I just need the reminder to stop and pause."

Project Semicolon was initially focused on those struggling with depression, suicide, addiction and self-injury, but it has been embraced by people coping with all types of mental illnesses.

Dustin Tribou of SaylorInk Tattoo offered two sizes of semicolons on Saturday, for a reduced rate of $30 each -- with $10 of that to benefit NAMI Maine, a statewide organization that offers support, education and advocacy about mental illness, and which co-sponsored the event. Tribou said he organized the event in honor of friends and family who have mental illnesses.

Marie Searles of Farmingdale stood against a wall in the waiting room Saturday, watching an episode of Ink Master on a nearby TV as she waited her turn.

Searles said she would wear her semicolon on her left wrist, to cover up several faint scars that crossed her skin.

"I was cutting," she said. "Most of it was a bad relationship. It's like your mind is so concentrated [on something] so you do that to get your mind off your other problems."

"I saw a quote on the Semicolon Project," Searles said. "It represents a pause at the end of a sentence. The sentence is my life, and I'm the author. I could've chosen to end my life, but I didn't."

Becky Dillingham, 31, of Lewiston, added a semicolon tattoo to her left wrist as a symbol of the depression she's struggled with, including a suicide attempt as a teenager.

"It's really a way for people to feel empowered about sharing their story and to have that solidarity of sharing their experiences with others," said NAMI Maine spokeswoman Sophie Gabrion. "So often that's something we're missing with mental illness -- that validity that it's OK to stand up and say, 'I have this.' We all know someone who has this. This isn't an isolated concern."

But for many who stood in line Saturday, the new tattoo would serve as a visible sign of support for loved ones who face depression, bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses.

Angela Bryant, 36, drove from Madison on Saturday morning.

"I'm here for my daughter," she said.

Fallon Sweeney, 25, of Hallowell, will show her tattoo to students she works with at Messalonskee Middle School.

"I have a lot of students who suffer from depression," she said, "and last year we just had a suicide. This is a good tribute to them."

Gabrion, whose brother is diagnosed with severe and persistent bipolar disorder, stood outside the shop throughout the day explaining NAMI Maine's services, including a help line -- 1-800- 464-5767 -- before having a semicolon placed on the inside of her pointer finger.

"My life has been very much influenced by my brother's story," she said. "Those of us who support individuals with mental illness need just as much self-care and just as many resources as the person [who is diagnosed]."

"I think we stand here today saying, "We encourage you, we love you, we will not abandon people who are in that pause,'" Lynn Messex, 52, of Madison, said of her tattoo. "For us, it's an acknowledgment that, 'We're here and we're not going anywhere.'"

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