Unfortunate circumstances do not merit surrender. We know this to our core, and yet we still find ourselves uncontrollably worrying about our future, deeply lost in the sadness of our past, and so disconnected from our present that we lose sight of who and where we are.13 Reasons Why was a popular TV show a couple years back that raised awareness and sparked discussion around suicide. Each episode explored the reasons why one character chose to end her life. This show, however, also had the unintended adverse effects of glamorizing and sensationalizing suicide. As such, we wanted to provide you with the harsh realities of suicide and remind you of 13 Reasons Why NOT to make the same decision.
1. Your Life Is More Than This Moment.
Do not make a permanent decision to solve a temporary problem. Pain convinces us that nothing will ever change– but feelings shift, circumstances evolve, and new possibilities always emerge, even when you can’t imagine them yet. And, if you’re under 25, your brain is still developing the parts that handle perspective-taking and problem-solving. This means that what feels unbearable today may look completely different with time. Hold on to the truth that tomorrow can bring something new.
2. Your Future Isn’t Written Yet.
Even if you can’t see it yet, there are chapters of your life still waiting to be written. New friends to be made, new places to live, new careers to learn, new passions to explore… the possibilities are endless. Focusing on what lies ahead can remind you that life is bigger than this moment of pain. If you can hold onto this belief, you will eventually live long enough to see it to fruition.
3. You Are The Only “You” There Will Ever Be.
Why would you rob the world of your gifts, talents, stories, jokes, intelligence, beauty, and charisma? I know you may not feel very special right now but just think, there is absolutely no one else exactly like you in the entire universe! You’re an endangered species! How special is that?
4. Beauty Exists, Even In Pain.
It’s easy to overlook beauty when you’re hurting, but life still has moments worth noticing. Stop for 30 seconds while you’re walking from your car to your job or class and LOOK, with all your senses, around you. The colors of the sky, the sound of laughter, the sensations of your body as a breeze touches your skin—everything is alive, everything has a purpose. You are part of the beauty. Taking a moment to see it doesn’t erase the pain, but it can remind you that there’s more to life than suffering.
5. Support Is Available.
You are not meant to carry everything alone. Think about it like this: if your friend or a family member told you they were thinking of hurting themselves, would you sit idly by and let them? Would you be okay with that? Exactly. If you let them, your friends, family, and community can and will step in to help. Just like you would help them, they would help you—you deserve that support too.
6. It Will NOT Make You Infamous.
Ending your life won’t even give you the benefit of attention (which is what we all crave, if we’re being honest). It will only leave behind pain, guilt, and confusion for the people who care about you. You deserve better than leaving the world with broken pieces of your story.
7. You Belong To Someone Greater.
Scripture reminds us: “You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). Your life is sacred because it belongs to God. Would you damage someone else’s property willingly? In the same way, your life is not yours to destroy — it is precious, chosen, and held by the One who created you. YOU are chosen and loved beyond measure.
8. You Are Not Weak.
Feeling pain doesn’t make you weak. You’ve endured more than you realize, and that endurance is proof of strength. You are amazing, you were divinely created! Everything you feel, God himself has felt, and has suffered the ultimate price so that you don’t have to. You don’t have to “be perfect”—just keep moving forward.
9. You Have A Story To Tell.
Your life is still being written. Don’t you want to know what it feels like to travel the world, to fall in love, or to experience the joy of family? It may feel impossible to picture that could ever happen right now, but it can. Your best years are still ahead. And here’s the beautiful part: the life you save for yourself could be someone else’s lifeline. The struggles you survive today can offer hope to someone who feels alone. One day, your story may give someone else the courage to survive.
10. You Are More Than Your Scars.
Scars—visible or invisible—are part of your journey, but they do not define you. They are not your identity. They are proof that you survived, learned, and persevered. Scars are evidence of resilience, but you are infinitely more than just that: you are a whole person, full of potential, with dreams, gifts, and a future that cannot be reduced to past pain or mistakes.
11. Your Purpose Is Waiting.
At 15, I thought I knew what my purpose was and who I wanted to be. Now, as an adult, I can say that my purpose has become something completely different. What you do, who you touch, and how you show up in the world matters in ways you cannot yet see. God created you for a purpose, to do something no one else can do. Don’t give up before you find it.
12. You Are Not Alone.
Everyone struggles. Feeling lost, anxious, sad, helpless, or hopeless is part of being human. You’ve been blessed with emotions, so feel them! You are allowed to feel them AND you are also allowed to reach out, to connect, and to see that others have survived the same storm. You are truly never alone.
13. This One Is Yours.
Only you can define why you stay. Maybe it’s your love for someone, a dream you haven’t chased, or the knowledge that your words and actions matter. Whatever it is, own it! Your story is not over—and the next chapter is waiting. What is your 13th reason why NOT to?
Edited by Katy Milian
