’ 13 Reasons Why ’ : Critique by a Recovered Depressive

I almost had the same fate as Hannah Baker. After having teetered so close to the edge of death, I am surprised a lot of days that I am actually still alive, that I didn’t perish in the bathtub when I dropped the hairdryer into the water. I finished watching the second season of 13 Reasons Why last night, and this show has stirred up a storm of thoughts and emotions for me, given my experience, so I thought I might contribute to the conversation that this show is igniting.  I first started having suicidal thoughts when I was a junior in high school. As I drove home from school, I often thought about swerving into oncoming traffic. One night, I was up late writing a paper for English class, and I was so tired that I didn’t think I’d be able to finish it in time. I opened the knife drawer and thought that perhaps cutting my wrists could shield me from the shame of not turning in an assignment on time. But cutting myself would result in another kind of shame, a shame much worse than tardiness. I shut the knife drawer, finished my paper, and told no one that my mind frequently wandered to this dark location. What did I have to be upset about, anyway? I grew up in a safe, privileged environment. My parents were together, and they showed me that they loved me on a regular basis. I had at least one loyal friend. I had goals, and I worked hard. I did not yet know that clinical depression is a very different thing than being “really upset” or “really unhappy....
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Children and Teens Depression Essays Genetics Neuroscience Personal Stories Students Suicide 13 Reasons Why Adolescence Depressive Episode Media Depictions Teen Depression Teen Suicide Source Type: news