Trigger warning – talk of suicide
Update: Seems some missed the point “might mean” in the next paragraph. I didn’t list some other reasons – the person considered suicide but did not follow through, having a relative who committed suicide. I pointed out some get the semi-colon tattoo because it looked cool and has nothing to do with suicide.
This isn’t always true which is why I titled this post as “might mean.” I noticed a friend is looking to get a semi-colon tattoo. There are many reasons a person wants a semi-colon tattoo, but one common reason is because the person survived a suicide attempt. When I worked for several mental health agencies, some of the clients had semi-colon tattoos for this reason. It’s become more common lately.
Some people have no problem explaining what a tattoo means – be it a semi-colon or a shark, but don’t assume seeing such a tattoo means they survived a suicide attempt. Others are less likely to explain it, especially if it was for this reason. At times, I have seen friends get tattoos because “It looks cool” without realizing the significance that may be associated with a specific tattoo. I had someone explain what a specific meant and it depended on if the tattoo included certain elements as those could change the meaning significantly. He pointed out that some would get it without understanding what it meant which often caused those individuals problems.
Ups Downs Family History 
It’s hard for me to understand why somebody would get a tattoo where strangers can see it if they don’t want to explain it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree, but some assume others would know what it means. A few get it in an area that isn’t visible, like on their chest, back, upper arms, or upper legs. A few ink it inside a larger tattoo so it’s not as obvious.
I remember an article about somebody who saw a cool Chinese symbol tattoo, didn’t bother to research it, and was later told what it meant. The guy couldn’t remove it fast enough.
LikeLiked by 1 person