Since its release on March 31, 13 Reasons Why has become a smash hit for Netflix. The series is based on Jay Asher’s 2007 novel of the same name, in which a teenager named Hannah Baker records thirteen cassette tapes detailing the reasons why she committed suicide and mails them posthumously to the thirteen people that she blames for her death. It has become wildly popular with teenagers and young adults in the weeks since its release, but has drawn considerable amounts of controversy as well.

    The show has received both acclaim and criticism for its graphic portrayals of suicide and rape. In two episodes, there are scenes which show Hannah and another character, her friend Jessica, being raped. Actress Alisha Boe, who played Jessica, has said that she felt that it was necessary to show the rape scenes in such vivid detail. “If you brush over the two rape scenes,” she said, “then the audience will think, ‘Why are these girls freaking out so much?’ Because that's already the stigma behind it. We really have to show how ugly it is and how much it can affect a person's life. It's not easy and it shouldn't be easy to watch.” Others felt that it showed too much,

    By far the most controversial aspect of the show is the heartbreakingly brutal depiction of Hannah Baker’s death by suicide. It shows her drawing a bath and slitting her wrists and bleeding out. The viewer sees her cry and struggle to breathe until she passes. There is then a scene immediately after in which her parents find her body. These scenes pack a powerful emotional punch, no doubt about it. But some wonder if it went too far.

    Selena Gomez, who was an executive producer for the series, has defended the graphic images shown in the final episode of the series, saying that “It's not an easy subject to talk about, but I'm very fortunate with how it's doing and I’m overwhelmed, very proud of it." Showrunner Brian Yorkey, writer Nic Sheff, and actors Dylan Minette and Katherine Langford have defended the scene as well for various reasons, Sheff, who survived a suicide attempt himself, pushed for the scenes inclusion because he “I know it was right, because my own life was saved when the truth of suicide was finally held up for me to see in all its horror — and reality.”

    The scene has drawn considerable controversy from mental health professionals, parents, educators, and others for how graphic the scene is. A writer for Metro UK said that she found the scene to be “nothing more than an accidental ‘how-to-guide’ which [she] think[s] is incredibly alarming and irresponsible.” The National Association of School Psychologists that they “do not recommend that vulnerable youth, especially those that have had any degree of suicidal ideation, watch this series,” reasoning that “research shows that exposure to another person’s suicide, or to graphic and sensationalized accounts of death, can be one of the many risk factors that youth struggling with mental health conditions cite as a reason they contemplate or attempt suicide.” They also stated that “the series does not emphasize that common among most suicide deaths is the presence of treatable mental illnesses.”

    If you're thinking about suicide, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255. You can also text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor right away.  If you're thinking about self-harm, visit the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery for resources on getting help.