The Netflix show 13 Reasons Why – which revolves around a high school student, Hannah Baker’s suicide – created a lot of controversy when it was released. There was a significant increase in suicide rates among boys aged 10-17 years the month following the release of the show (Bridge et al., 2020). The show was based on several social issues such as suicide, sexual assault, gun violence and drug abuse (to name a few). This article attempts to dive into and analyse the life of a character, Justin Foley, played by Brandon Flynn, and his struggle with substance abuse.
Justin Foley is one of the main characters of the show. After Hannah Baker committed suicide, she left a series of tapes wherein Justin has been mentioned. Justin was in a relationship with a woman named Jessica. His best friend, Bryce, rapes Jessica while Justin is helpless. He hides it for some time because he did not want to lose his best friend and girlfriend, but eventually comes clean to Jessica. Jessica breaks up with him after which he cuts ties with Bryce. Having nothing left to stay for, he leaves town.
Hannah’s family blames the school for her death and in the second season, a legal battle ensues. Clay Jensen, the main protagonist of the story, attempts to find Justin as he was the only one who could testify against Bryce as Jessica was not ready to talk about her rape yet. He finds Justin homeless, in tattered clothes, having nothing but a small bag and a varsity jacket that he had on when he left town. He brings him back and hides him in his house because Justin has no family that he can go back to. While washing Justin’s clothes, Clay finds some drugs in his belongings and realises that Justin has been abusing drugs.
Substance abuse refers to the excessive use of substances that can result in potentially harmful behaviour and there is continued use despite the negative and harmful effects it has on our health (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Substance Abuse / Chemical Dependency). Addiction is a disease that does not discriminate between the rich and poor, healthy or unhealthy. However, certain factors do exist that increase the likelihood of getting addicted to substances such as a biological predisposition to getting addicted, low socioeconomic status, history of drug abuse in the family, significant stressors along with inadequate coping mechanisms, lack of family involvement, poor interpersonal relationships and so on, factors that were in the hand dealt to Justin (Mayo Clinic, Drug addiction (substance use disorder) 2017), (Spooner, 1999). Justin’s mother was a drug addict and her revolving door of boyfriends were mostly drug addicts too, exposing him to the world of drugs very early in his life. He never knew his father, was molested at a tender age of 5, and was poorer than almost all his friends. He never had a nurturing environment growing up and no one to look up to. The people that were around him were drug addicts and he never had a positive influence in his life. The guilt of his girlfriend’s rape weighed down on him and he started using drugs.
Clay needed to ensure that Justin got clean and started a detoxification program with the help of his friends. The withdrawal phase began and came with it the vomiting, nausea, restlessness, agitation, anxiety, sweating, cramps (https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/treatment-recovery). We see Justin curled up inside his blanket, holding his stomach, vomiting, drenched with sweat, very restless and agitated, with a desire for drugs. These are very accurate depictions of what withdrawal is. It is important to note that when the symptoms subside, the person’s tolerance for the drug also falls, thus leading to a high chance of overdose (abnormal psychology textbook). This is exactly what we see in the show. One day, Alex, who was another friend helping Justin stay clean, finds Justin pale and lifeless on the bed with a needle in his arm. Alex, who had certain mobility issues, struggles to roll Justin onto his stomach and open his airway. When he finally does that, Justin vomits, starts breathing, and gains consciousness. Justin’s tolerance had reduced ever since he started the detoxification program. If not for Alex, Justin could have overdosed and died. It also shows how difficult it was for Justin to stay away from drugs.
As hard as it is to come to the decision to stop using drugs, it is even harder to stick to it. We see Justin’s rocky journey, filled with ups and downs as he tries his hardest to stay sober. He goes through rehab but his unstable relationship with Jessica and low self-worth constantly takes him back to the world of drugs. He steals expensive items from the Jensens and money from his workplace so he could buy drugs. While he was homeless, he often shared needles, begged for money and also engaged in prostitution only so he could buy drugs and food. These are very clear signs of substance abusers who would resort to any means to use drugs. Drug addiction has many other consequences such as getting a communicable disease, suicides, familial problems, marital problems, legal issues, problem at school and financial problems. (Mayo Clinic, Drug addiction (substance use disorder) 2017)
Justin only found a reason to stop using drugs when he received love and warmth from clay and his family. Even though he struggled to stay clean, the unconditional love and support from the Jensens gave him a reason to do so. He received the warmth that he previously obtained from drugs from his new family. This shows us the impact that positive interpersonal relationships can have on substance abusers. His childhood was filled with abuses and neglect which pushed him to get pleasure from drugs, but on receiving genuine love and warmth from Clay and his family, he tried to stop using drugs.
Justin contracted HIV-1 from sharing needles and prostitution. He did not get tested because of which the infection was not caught at an early stage. His HIV then progresses to AIDS. He passes away with the Jensens by his side, finally ending his struggle with substance abuse.
Reference:
Bridge, J. A., Greenhouse, J. B., Ruch, D., Stevens, J., Ackerman, J., Sheftall, A. H., Horowitz, L. M., Kelleher, K. J., & Campo, J. V. (2020). Association Between the Release of Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why and Suicide Rates in the United States: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 59(2), 236–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2019.04.020
Substance Abuse / Chemical Dependency. Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/substance-abuse-chemical-dependency
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2017, October 26). Drug addiction (substance use disorder). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/drug-addiction/symptoms-causes/syc-20365112
Spooner, C. (1999). Causes and correlates of adolescent drug abuse and implications for treatment. Drug and Alcohol Review, 18(4), 453–475. https://doi.org/10.1080/09595239996329
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