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A young patient recently accessing mental health services in Calgary faced strikingly similar circumstances to Hannah Baker, the main character of the controversial Netflix series 13 Reasons Why.

They both were bullied. They both struggled with depression. They both contemplated suicide.

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The difference? One died and one sought help.

Hannah took her own life in the last episode of the Netflix series and, although the show is fictional, the link between the show and the emotions of the young patient that were triggered by the graphic scene is very real.

And it’s not the only one.

This story was recently told to Postmedia by a Calgary crisis counsellor, but it’s not a tale unique to the city.

Netflix serial drama 13 Reasons Why follows high school student Clay Jenson and the life of his friend Hannah, who left behind 13 cassette tapes detailing the reasons for her act. The show, based on a novel by Jay Asher, depicts suicide and rape, and tackles issues of bullying, sexuality and harassment.