Posted on Jun 29, 2017
Families blame "13 Reasons Why" for girls' suicides
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Do you think this show could cause or influence someone to commit suicide? The fathers fully admit they missed the signs of depression, etc, in their daughters yet blame the show.
Families blame "13 Reasons Why" for girls' suicides
Posted from cbsnews.com
Depression
Suicide
Children
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 2
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I have never watched this show - only read about it and seen conflicting opinions. Some say it's a great way for parents to open dialogue with kids. Others say that it glamorizes suicide and makes it seem like suicide can be a tool for "revenge."
I think the fathers are just in grief and want someone to blame but I don't agree that this show "made" their kids kill themselves. They said they missed the signs of depression. What if this show didn't exist when they did this? Then who is to blame?
I completely disagree with people who say that TV, moves, video games "make" someone do horrible acts or kill themselves and so on. I've played GTA - I don't do the things you can do on the game. I've played Call of Duty, etc, I don't run around acting like that in real life. If someone can't distinguish reality from fantasy they have bigger issues.
I think the fathers are just in grief and want someone to blame but I don't agree that this show "made" their kids kill themselves. They said they missed the signs of depression. What if this show didn't exist when they did this? Then who is to blame?
I completely disagree with people who say that TV, moves, video games "make" someone do horrible acts or kill themselves and so on. I've played GTA - I don't do the things you can do on the game. I've played Call of Duty, etc, I don't run around acting like that in real life. If someone can't distinguish reality from fantasy they have bigger issues.
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We sent a note home to parents describing the series offering advice to parents and giving them a chance to talk to our guidance counselors.
It is a tricky topic. I have been trained in symptoms and reporting. Often it is difficult to assess, but always better to report and speak directly to the student. Depression is often a chemical imbalance, but often therapy alone will help some.
My younger sister's best friend committed suicide at age 12. It has really affected how she sees the world. Many did not see it coming.
There is something I called the Werther effect. When Goethe wrote the Sorrows of Young Werther in the 18th Century, young people all over Europe began to kill themselves. Apparently the story had such a profound effect on them that they thought it legitimized suicide. Goethe said later that he wrote it to overcome those feelings.
I really don't know if a TV show could trigger it. My advice would be to learn the symptoms and take action if there are signs of depression.
It is a tricky topic. I have been trained in symptoms and reporting. Often it is difficult to assess, but always better to report and speak directly to the student. Depression is often a chemical imbalance, but often therapy alone will help some.
My younger sister's best friend committed suicide at age 12. It has really affected how she sees the world. Many did not see it coming.
There is something I called the Werther effect. When Goethe wrote the Sorrows of Young Werther in the 18th Century, young people all over Europe began to kill themselves. Apparently the story had such a profound effect on them that they thought it legitimized suicide. Goethe said later that he wrote it to overcome those feelings.
I really don't know if a TV show could trigger it. My advice would be to learn the symptoms and take action if there are signs of depression.
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SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
Netflix has a warning on the show.
My mom's cousin her youngest son (she had two sons) committed suicide three years ago I believe. He had deployed to Afghanistan. I guess he had some issues with PTSD and other things. His grandpa (my great uncle) had been keeping him controlled (I'm not sure that's the word) but kept him stable. Then he suddenly died from a stroke in 2013. I guess that hit my second cousin hard. My mom told me that they didn't find the kid for like two days after he died or something. I never knew him. I wish I had. I could have pointed him in the direction to get help. But she posts a lot of stuff about suicide and grief etc and she has been posting some things where some people are trying to get rid of everyone saying that someone "committed" suicide and instead say "died by suicide." People say that when you say someone committed suicide it's as if they did something wrong like when you commit a crime. Just one other way to reduce the stigma on talking about suicide and mental health I suppose is the intent.
I think in this case, the parents are just so overcome with grief and they want to blame someone.
My mom's cousin her youngest son (she had two sons) committed suicide three years ago I believe. He had deployed to Afghanistan. I guess he had some issues with PTSD and other things. His grandpa (my great uncle) had been keeping him controlled (I'm not sure that's the word) but kept him stable. Then he suddenly died from a stroke in 2013. I guess that hit my second cousin hard. My mom told me that they didn't find the kid for like two days after he died or something. I never knew him. I wish I had. I could have pointed him in the direction to get help. But she posts a lot of stuff about suicide and grief etc and she has been posting some things where some people are trying to get rid of everyone saying that someone "committed" suicide and instead say "died by suicide." People say that when you say someone committed suicide it's as if they did something wrong like when you commit a crime. Just one other way to reduce the stigma on talking about suicide and mental health I suppose is the intent.
I think in this case, the parents are just so overcome with grief and they want to blame someone.
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