E-MESS: Music is better than cutting

Hey Wally, I just wanted to let you know what your show has done for me. About 4 years ago I started cutting. Life at home wasn't good and I had no other way to escape. I was 13. I'm 16 now. My dad is a preacher and religion was always forced to me, I never had an option. When my parents found out about my cutting, my mother told me that God could never love me because I had done that to myself. She also told me that I was the reason our family fell apart. Later that year I was diagnosed with severe depression, bipolar disorder, and severe anxiety. I decided then that God could not possibly exist. I attempted suicide 3 times. I was going to try again when I decided to turn the radio on. Your show was on and you made me laugh, like for real out loud laughter. I learned that day that music is so much better than cutting. No matter how bad I feel, you never cease to make me smile. You convinced me that God is real. He is out there. I still struggle everyday with faith and I honestly can't tell you I have a relationship with God, but because of you I now believe he is real which is a step up from what I used to believe. Now when I feel like I need to escape I reach for my headphones instead of my blades. Headphones are softer and what they leave behind is a lot prettier. I haven't cut in 2 weeks, which for a girl who couldn't go an hour without cutting is really good. Thank you. You helped me see the difference between short happiness out of pain, and real happiness. You've inspired me to tell my story and help others. I don't know how to thank you enough.

Thank you so much for sharing your story with me. I know it will also inspire others. First off, I don't think your mom is right on this one. It doesn't mean she is wrong about everything but I do know that God loves us and he sees more than our scars. I am sure she was hurting for you and had no idea how to help. Let me assure you God is real and he loves you very much. The Bible is one of the greatest love stories ever told. It is all about God's pursuit of us and the lengths he goes to have a relationship with us. I am so proud of you for going two weeks without cutting. That is awesome. 2 weeks will turn into 2 months, then 2 years and so on. You already know the cutting doesn't solve your problems, so that is good. I think the next thing would be to find out what it is that makes you want to cut. Figuring that out will help you greatly. I am glad you like the music and it helps you out. The reason you like it is because it is the word of God and has His hope all through it. That is what you can have in your life all the time when you get to the point that you can trust God. He gives us peace in the middle of chaos. It doesn't mean life gets easier, we still have problems and bad things still happen to us, but it means we can walk through some hard things with His help and love. If you ever have any questions about God please feel free to ask. There are no dumb questions. Also if you are in a place where you are tempted to cut, try chatting with groundwire. They are a ministry that exists to help people 24 hrs a day and I love what they do. They have helped a lot of people. Here is the link. I hope you will get to a place where you can trust God with your whole heart but I know it takes time to get to that place. Later     [fluidvideo url="//www.youtube.com/embed/hHcVTbyJqis?rel=0"]