13 Reasons Why – from a Child Psychiatrist

by Dr. Micaela Wexler

Dr. Micaela Wexler provides child and adolescent pscyhiatric services in Kansas.

Please visit Wexler Family Psychiatry to schedule an appointment.

1. If you experience suicidal thoughts, there is help: 1-800-273-TALK, 741741 – crisis text line
2. Suicide results from mental illness – 90% of people who die from suicide suffer from severe depression.
3. Bullying does not cause suicide – Bullies pick on multiple people. Those that are depressed are the ones most severely affected.
4. Focusing on bullying at the expense of focusing on mental health does nothing to help kids who are negatively affected by bullying
5. The author of 13 Reasons why is not an expert on teenage suicide. He drew from his imagination about suicidal ideation. However, there is no evidence this qualifies him to paint a picture which is representative of all suicidal teenagers.
6. It is dangerous to ignore a teenager’s cries for help. Both a poem about suicide and a letter Hannah wrote were ignored. The proper response to a cry for help is mental health care.
7. Suicide prevention works. Research shows treatment for depression and access to care lead to decreased suicide.
8. Suicide is not done as a form of revenge- this is a dangerous myth that prevents people from getting help by adding to the stigma of mental health
9. Sexual assault and harassment are serious problems many teenagers experience on a daily basis. These can trigger severe depression.
10. People who die from suicide show warning signs. IS PATH WARM (Ideation, Sub Abuse, Purposeless, Anxiety, Trapped, Hopeless, Withdrawal, Anger, Reckless, Mood Swings)
11. Suicide is not selfish. If people who die from suicide were really selfish, they would not feel the level of pain and vulnerability that results in suicide.
12. Suicide is not inevitable. Treatment works. Many people overcome their depression every day and go on to lead happy and productive lives.
13. 13 Reasons why is a work of FICTION with an overly dramatic character created as a form of entertainment. For a realistic depiction of suicide, visit afsp.org (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) or 13 Reasons Why Talking Points from Jed Foundation.

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Teenage Suicide is Very Preventable When our children go astray