Since its release on March 31, 2017, 13 Reasons Why has taken over social media and daily conversation. Many of my friends binge watched it over the course of a few days or a week. I can’t go a day without hearing about it from someone around me. Anytime it’s brought up, I always have to say that I haven’t watched it, and the response is usually the same: “You NEED to watch it!” I try and drop the subject by saying it’s just not for me, only to be questioned further.
Today, I beg my peers to stop questioning my decision for not watching this series. Every time I try to explain why I could not watch the show, even if I wanted to, it’s an awkward subject for me. I am a recovering self harmer and have had points in my life where I felt suicide was my only option. Although I’m open about my mental health and my journey regarding it, it’s not exactly something I want to talk about while eating lunch at school.
The idea of triggers, in my opinion, have almost become a joke. Triggers are something to take seriously. I’m not asking the world to become a complete safe space or anything of that matter, but we as human beings need to be more empathetic of people who can get triggered by things. For example, I hate seeing blood because of my experiences with self harm. Do I ask every person who may have a cut on their finger to get away from me and run away screaming that I’m triggered? No, of course not. I walk away calmly, or close my eyes, because I know personally how my body reacts. I know I’m not the only one who’s has these sort of experiences. I’ve read several articles of people who watched and their mental health was compromised for an extended period of time due to it being an extreme trigger. Therefore, knowing what I do about 13 Reasons Why, I will not be watching it simply because the themes of suicide may be a potential trigger for me, thus something I should avoid for my own health and well-being.
While I have no doubt in my mind that it’s a well-done show with incredibly important (although tragic) themes of mental health, I am simply not the designated audience for such a series. Being a person who has gone through severe depression and suicidal thoughts, I know exactly what the show is saying. In my opinion, 13 Reasons Why is meant for those who have not gone through those dark times. Its purpose seems to be to inform those and raise awareness for mental health and the effect people can have on another person. I’m so glad the conversation is being had, it’s one that’s so important and we as a society have needed it for a long time.
All in all, those who are fans of 13 Reasons Why, please be aware if someone tells you they will not be watching it, don’t question their reasoning or attack them for not taking part, as you never know what could be going on inside of them.
