Everyone has pain in his or her life at some time. We all deal with that pain differently. When I was a teenager, I had a lot of pain. I began using drugs and alcohol. When I was twenty-four, I was raped. I had heard about this thing called self-injury. I did some reading on it and tried it for the first time. It changed my life. It gave me relief each time I cut. Unfortunately, I became addicted to cutting. It was my go-to vice. In order to deal with my addictions, I began writing poetry and getting my pain down on paper. It became therapeutic and a way to cope. Today I try to use my poetry to help others.