STOP BULLYING! Poem: Sticks and Stones by Sandy Bigara

Sticks and Stones

Sandy Bigara

I am porcelain.

I am glass.

I am fine, bone-white china.

When you speak to me the way you do,

You make yet another crack that I have to mend.

A fissure that festers with malicious intent.

You walk away, feeling relieved?

Entitled?

And you leave me broken, chipped, fractured…

I walk to the mirror of my mind and I see scars, rips, torn identity…

A patchwork of badly mended design.

I lower my eyes as I feel ashamed –

What if your words are true?

They are not.

What if your intentions are good?

They are not.

What if you say what you say in love?

You do not.

Your words are like a pick-axe,

Every syllable sharpened like flint.

You poke, prod and pierce my heart,

Casually. Pointedly. Unaware.

When I feel that hope is almost lost,

When my mind starts to pull away from the person that I AM,

I turn and look into the eyes of my family, my friends,

Those who know me truly…

And I see my reflection from their point of view.

I look strong.

I look whole.

I look smooth and confident.

Only I know the full extent of the damage done by you.

Perhaps too late you will see me truly, as they do.

Perhaps too late.

© 2012 Sandy Doherty-Bigara 

HOTLINES:

Depression 

• Suicide Hotline (US, UK, Canada & Singapore): 1-800-SUICIDE (2433)
• Suicide hotline (New Zealand): 0800 543 354
• Depression hotline: 1-630-482-9696
• Suicide Crisis Line: 1-800-999-9999
• National Suicide Prevention Helpline: 1-800-273-TALK (8245)
• National Adolescent Suicide Helpline: 1-800-621-4000
• Postpartum Depression: 1-800-PPD-MOMS
• NDMDA Depression Hotline – Support Group: 1-800-826-3632
• Veterans: 1-877-VET2VET
• Crisis Help Line – For Any Kind of Crisis: 1-800-233-4357
• Suicide & Depression Crisis Line – Covenant House: 1-800-999-9999

Domestic Abuse

• National Child Abuse Helpline: 1-800-422-4453
• National Domestic Violence Crisis Line: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
• National Domestic Violence Hotline (TDD): 1-800-787-32324
• Center for the Prevention of School Violence: 1-800-299-6504
• Child Abuse Helpline: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)
• Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-800-548-2722
• Healing Woman Foundation (Abuse): 1-800-477-4111
• Child Abuse Hotline Support & Information: 1-800-792-5200
• Women’s Aid National Domestic Violence Helpline (UK): 0345 023 468
• Sexual Abuse Centre (UK): 0117 935 1707
• Sexual Assault Support (24/7, English & Spanish): 1-800-223-5001
• Domestic & Teen Dating Violence (English & Spanish): 1-800-992-2600
• Rape Crisis England & Wales: 0808 802 9999 1(open 2 - 2.30pm 7 - 9.30pm) e-mail info@rapecrisis.org.uk
• Rape Crisis Scotland: 08088 01 03 02 every day, 6pm to midnight

Alcohol & Drug Abuse

• National Association for Children of Alcoholics: 1-888-55-4COAS (1-888-554-2627)
• National Drug Abuse: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
• Al-Anon/Alateen Hope & Help for young people who are the relatives & friends of a problem drinker): 1-800-344-2666
• Alcohol/Drug Abuse Hotline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
• Be Sober Hotline: 1-800-BE-SOBER (1-800-237-6237)
• Cocaine Help Line: 1-800-COCAINE (1-800-262-2463)
• 24 Hour Cocaine Support Line: 1-800-992-9239
• Ecstasy Addiction: 1-800-468-6933
• Marijuana Anonymous: 1-800-766-6779
• Drinkline (UK): 0800 9178282
• Frank (UK): 0800776600

Youth & Teen Hotlines

• National Youth Crisis Support: 1-800-448-4663
• Youth America Hotline: 1-877-YOUTHLINE (1-877-968-8454)
• Covenant House Nine-Line (Teens): 1-800-999-9999
• Boys Town National: 1-800-448-3000
• Teen Helpline: 1-800-400-0900
• TeenLine: 1-800-522-8336
• Youth Crisis Support: 1-800-448-4663 or 1-800-422-0009
• Runaway Support (All Calls are Confidential): 800-231-6946
• Childline: (UK Only) 0800 1111
• Kids Helpline (Australia) 1800 55 1800
•  b-eat youthline (UK): 08456347650 (open Mon-Fri 4.30pm - 8.30pm, Saturday 1pm-4.30pm)

Pregnancy Hotlines

• AAA Crisis Pregnancy Center: 1-800-560-0717
• Pregnancy Support: 1-800-4-OPTIONS (1-800-467-8466)
• Pregnancy National Helpline: 1-800-356-5761
• Young Pregnant Support: 1-800 550-4900

Gay and Lesbian Hotlines

• The Trevor Helpline (For homosexuality questions or problems): 1-800-850-8078
• Gay & Lesbian National Support: 1-888-THE-GLNH (1-888-843-4564)
• Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Youth Support Line: 1-800-850-8078
• Lesbian & Gay Switchboard: (UK Only) 0121 622 6589
• Lothian Gay & Lesbian Switchboard – Scotland: (Scotland Only) 0131 556 4049

Other Hotlines

• Self-Injury Support: 1-800-DONT CUT (1-800-366-8288) (www.selfinjury.com)
• Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention: 1-800-931-2237 (Hours: 8am-noon daily, PST)
• Eating Disorders Center: 1-888-236-1188
• Help Finding a Therapist: 1-800-THERAPIST (1-800-843-7274)
• Panic Disorder Information and Support: 1-800-64-PANIC (1-800-647-2642)
• TalkZone (Peer Counselors): 1-800-475-TALK (1-800-475-2855)
• Parental Stress Hotline: 1-800-632-8188
• National AIDS Helpline: (UK) 0800 567 123
• Samaritans (UK): 08457909090 e-mail jo@samaritans.org
• b-eat eating disorder support (UK): 0845 634 14 14 (only open Mon-Fri 10.30am-8.30pm and Saturday 1pm-4.30pm) e-mail: help@b-eat.co.uk
• Mind infoline (UK mental health information): 0300 123 3393 e-mail: info@mind.org.uk
• Mind legal advice (UK): 0300 466 6463 legal@mind.org.uk
• Cruse Bereavement Care (UK): 08444779400 helpline@cruse.org.uk

Swedish Hotlines (all of these are anonymous)

• Nationella Hjälplinjen (National Help Line) 020-22 00 60 | open 13-22
• BRIS (children’s rights in society, must be 18 or younger, and is for children that are in /any/ bad situation) 116 111 | open 10-22 (calls to BRIS will /not/ show up on the bill!)
• kvinnofridslinjen (women’s line) 020-50 50 50 | open all day