As Suicide Prevention Month approaches, I’m filled with so much frustration and sorrow. It’s disheartening to see mainstream calls for forced treatments and harmful approaches that feel so disconnected from my own experiences and those of others who live with suicidality daily. For many of us who have been labeled with psychiatric diagnoses, are survivors of psychiatric systems, or navigate suicidality as part of our daily lives, this month can be particularly challenging due to this disconnect. The dominant narratives around suicide 'prevention' often emphasize carceral approaches that do more harm than good, especially for those of us who have experienced the violence of psychiatric incarceration.
I want to share my personal experience of what has truly supported me in moments when I wanted to die, and what has exacerbated my pain. These reflections are not universal truths but my lived experiences, and I hope they resonate with others who may feel unseen or unheard in mainstream discussions of suicide 'prevention'.
What Suicide Prevention Has Been for Me:
Having a support system
Friends and family who didn’t give up on me
A therapist who saw me as more than my diagnosis
Access to health insurance
Respectful medical providers
Alt2Su groups and other non-carceral support spaces
Access to LGBTQIA2S+ spaces
Peer support
Autonomy in therapeutic spaces
Being believed
Being heard
My pets
Leaving an abusive relationship and accessing safe, affordable housing
Working from home
Flexible work schedule
Having enough food
Being able to pay my bills
Getting out of debt
Having a caring partner
What Did Not Help and Caused More Harm:
Forced treatment and involuntary commitment
Being restrained, held down, and drugged against my will
Harmful labels and stigmatizing terms
Not being believed because of my labels
Being overmedicated
No informed consent around medications
No support coming off medications
Medical gaslighting
Being uninsured
Being given a list of resources without actual support
Hotline numbers instead of real support
Witnessing harm in treatment settings
Living in a place where it felt unsafe to be queer
Harmful legislation
Capitalism
Harmful and toxic workplaces
Poverty
Debt collectors
Ableism and sanism
As we enter Suicide 'Prevention' Month, I hope that we can shift the conversation away from punitive, coercive measures and toward genuine care and support. Suicidality itself is not the crisis; rather, the crisis lies in responses marked by control, superiority, and dominance. The real crisis is rooted in systemic issues like capitalism, colonialism, and oppression. Real prevention isn't about policing or controlling people; it's about creating a world where everyone has access to the resources, respect, and community they need to thrive.
May we listen more, believe more, and care more—without judgment or force.
*For further reading on suicidism, here are the resources:
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