Our Story

To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and invest directly into treatment and recovery.

twloha, then & now

This movement began in the spring of 2006 when To Write Love on Her Arms founder Jamie Tworkowski wrote a story about a friend struggling with depression, addiction, and self-injury. The words and the life it represented shed light on the reality of contrast—pain and peace, addiction and sobriety, regret and freedom. The title, “To Write Love on Her Arms,” also represented a goal—to believe that a better life was possible. A Myspace page was created to give the story a home, and T-shirts were sold to pay for the friend’s treatment.

But it was more than just a story

As the days passed and the blog was shared, it became clear that this story was not just about one person. We heard from folks longing to lift the heavy weight of depression, to be free from addiction or self-injury, to stay alive and live fully. We also heard from people mourning those they’d lost to such challenges, asking what they could do to bring hope to their communities. We learned that two out of three people who struggle with depression never seek help and that untreated depression is the leading cause of suicide. In the U.S. alone, it’s estimated that 19 million people live with depression, and suicide is the third-leading cause of death among those 15-24 years old. It seemed we had stumbled into a bigger story and a conversation that needed to be had. These are issues of humanity, instances of pain that affect millions of people around the world—regardless of age, race, gender, religious belief, orientation, and background.

love is the movement

Over the years, TWLOHA has become much more than a blog and a T-shirt. Through musician support, tours, and social media, the message of hope and help has reached an audience broader than we could have ever anticipated. We’ve expanded from computer screens to conferences, campuses, national and international programs, and events around the country and the world, where we challenge the stigma and stereotypes that have surrounded mental health for so long. And all the while, we’re investing in treatment and recovery and offering financial support to organizations, centers, and individuals laboring in the priceless work of recovery.

TWLOHA is honored to be a part of this continuing story, to invite people into the conversation, and to be a bridge to the healing we believe is possible.