I never got in the habit of writing reminders to myself on my hands. If I ever had something written on my skin as a kid, my dad would tell me the ink could seep into my blood and poison me. I don't know whether this is true or not, but I can't think it's that threatening seeing as I have many surviving friends who utilize their hands as personal planners, writing their entire "to-do" lists on them.

Most of their pen tattoos are reminders for tasks they need to complete. However, there is a group of people encouraging others to remind themselves of something different on Thursday by writing "love" on their arms.** The reminder? That all are created to love and be loved and that all are important.

Although this may seem like a hippie effort straight out of the '60s, in reality, many people need this reminder to free themselves from the grasps of depression.

Thursday's event is inspired by a non-profit movement called To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA), whose mission, as stated on its Web site, is "dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide." It hopes to "encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery."

TWLOHA started out in 2006 as an effort to treat a 19-year-old woman who suffered from addiction and depression. She was denied entry into a drug treatment center, and the founder of TWLOHA reached out to help her to collect funds and find value in her life. The efforts to clear the taboo of depression and help those who need it has spiraled in a way that is bold and necessary—particularly for college students.

"Second to anxiety, depression is the most common … concern at the counseling center," said Jodi Rusch Blahnik, treatment coordinator at the Marquette University Counseling Center. "Of the students coming in … approximately 39 percent identify depression as a concern."

According to the International Foundation for Research and Education on Depression, over the course of a single year, one in 12 college students in the United States will make a suicide plan, and seven of every 100,000 college students die each year from suicide. Additionally, there has been an "increase and a doubling of the numbers of students seen with depression over the past decade."

Rusch Blahnick said common symptoms of depression include lack of energy or motivation, difficulty concentrating, feeling worthless or hopeless and having thoughts of suicide.

We often have a stigmatized view of seeking professional advice for emotional struggles, but they are as much a part of life as getting a sore throat or stomachache; we have no problem going to the doctor for those pains. Guess what? There are trained professionals to help with mental pains, too.

"It is our mission to promote the psychological health of all students at Marquette," Rusch Blahnick said. "We are experts in working with college students and the unique concerns they typically bring to a counseling setting."

Seeking help from places like the counseling center or even peers during bouts of emotional unrest are much better alternatives than living with depression or the possibility of suicide.

I received a Facebook invitation to write "love" on my arm on Thursday and originally thought, "Thanks, but no thanks."

After further investigating the effort, though, TWLOHA can count me in.

I'll have "love" written on my arm—along with more than 300,000 others—to support those who may feel ashamed of the taboo subject many struggle with.

Rest assured Dad, I'll use a washable marker for my love tat.