Is Prevention Possible?

I recently had the privilege of presenting at the American Association of Suicidology  Annual Conference. It was quite humbling to be surrounded by thousands of people burdened by devastation of suicide and working to do their part to create change. In one of the sessions there was a debate on whether or not suicide prevention is possible.

One of the arguments given was that when we say prevention is possible, we add to the guilt of loved one’s left behind. As a survivor of suicide, I have contemplated this quite a bit. Is suicide preventable….more personally was Michael’s suicide preventable? What about my mother-in-law?

Hindsight is always 20/20. I could have done this…or if only…while I will never know without a doubt whether or not the suicides in my life were preventable, I believe with all my heart that the lessons I’ve learned from these losses can help me to do better in preventing future suicides of people I love.

Can I do this perfectly? No. I cannot control another person, but I can extend hope. Ultimately I believe my first husband and my mother-in-law both lost hope; they did not see any other way out. I believe with all my heart that there is hope; things can change with the right help.

Do I believe prevention is possible? Absolutely. Is it possible 100% of the time? Unfortunately no. 

Malaria is preventable with medication and mosquito nets; however, there are times when the safeguards aren’t enough and people still contract malaria. In the same way, safeguards can be put into place to reduce the risk of suicide. 

What do you think? Is suicide preventable?