People Are Warning Each Other About a Mental Health Trigger in 'The Haunting of Hill House'
Warning: This piece contains spoilers about the TV show “The Haunting of Hill House.”
Editor's Note
If you experience suicidal thoughts, the following post could be potentially triggering, as it describes a graphic suicide scene. You can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741741.
If you don’t have personal triggers around graphic depictions of suicide and are planning to watch Netflix’s new series, “The Haunting of Hill House,” stop reading now — the following post contains spoilers.
But if you’ve lost a loved one to suicide, struggle with suicidal ideation or have attempted suicide in the past, there’s a scene we want you to be aware of in episode five, “The Bent-Neck Lady.”
“The Haunting of Hill House” is a series created by Mike Flanagan based on a novel of the same name written by Shirley Jackson in 1959. The story follows the Crain family, who 26 years previously, moved into Hill House, a haunted mansion. The family comes together many years later, forced to confront the “ghosts” — both literal and figurative — of their pasts.
The series has been well-received (it has a 93 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes) but some folks have taken to Twitter to warn others about the scene at the end of episode five. The show has an extended suicide scene that visibly shows a woman kill herself, so if you are sensitive to graphic depictions of suicide, we recommend not watching the last five minutes of episode five.
Lots of folks are watching Netflix’s new series, The Haunting Of Hill House, right now. Watcher beware: there’s a graphic and drawn out suicide scene at the end of episode 5. Know before you go, etc.
— Live Through This (@lttphoto) October 29, 2018
Yo Haunting of Hill House is amazing but just wanna give a general suicide trigger warning for the show but episode 5 in particular can be rough
— carroll (@carroll_herring) October 29, 2018
The Haunting of Hill House is a really great show!! Though tw for drug use and suicide.
— 900 miles ???? Appalachian Trail (@vishykin) October 28, 2018
If you’re someone who’s sensitive to depictions of suicide, it’s OK to skip “The Haunting of Hill House.” Or, if you still want to see it, it might be helpful to watch it with someone you trust. If you’re struggling while watching, you can always text “HOME” to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.
Stay safe and take care of yourself. Your mental well-being is more important than being “in the know” about a popular show.
Header image via “The Haunting of Hill House” Facebook page
Hi, I'm Juliette. I'm the former Mental Health Editor at The Mighty. I joined The Mighty because I believe storytelling is a powerful tool in raising awareness about mental health and trauma. I'm inspired every day by the brave vulnerability of our community. #MightyTogether
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