Survivors of Suicide Work at Prevention

A Father's Loss Sparks New Hope, Prevention Effort

Bennie and Mary Smith spoke with their 23-year-old son, Todd, often. They knew he was having problems. But when Bennie got the call from a College Station, Texas, lieutenant informing him that his son had taken his own life, he was stunned, shocked and saddened. Now, three years later, Bennie is helping other survivors cope with their losses and trying to prevent future suicides from occurring.

On November 20, Bennie shared his story of grief and growth with other survivors of suicide in Houston and throughout the country during "Surviving After Suicide," a conference for those who have lost family members or friends to suicide. Sponsored locally by the Houston Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and the University of Texas-Houston Harris County Psychiatric Center, the Houston event was part of a national day of suicide prevention conferences held in cities across the nation, with a special videoconferencing link connecting them.

"Nobody should have to suffer the aftermath of a suicide of a loved one," says Smith, a board member with the Houston Chapter of AFSP and a national conference panelist. "Unfortunately, suicide has become an option for too many people. We need to help people understand there are better ways to handle life's problems."

For each suicide that occurs, there are approximately six survivors. With more than 30,000 suicides in the U.S. each year, this means there are approximately 8 million survivors over a 40-year span, according to Robert Gebbia, AFSP executive director. "That's a tremendous force for changing attitudes about suicide and for its prevention," says Gebbia.

In July, Surgeon General David Satcher brought suicide to the forefront of the nation's attention when he declared suicide to be an issue of national concern, cutting across all socioeconomic, ethnic, sex and age boundaries. In the U.S. Senate, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada has introduced Resolution 99, proclaiming November 20, 1999, as National Survivors for Suicide Prevention Day.

"Unfortunately, the public is not adequately aware of the reality of suicide, which is more widespread and occurs more frequently among adolescents and young adults than is commonly believed," says Dr. Alan Swann, professor and vice chairman in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at The University of Texas-Houston Medical School. "As a result, people who need to talk about it and need to get help, don't. Our silence on suicide has created a stigma which only stifles efforts at suicide prevention."

National Survivors for Suicide Prevention Day conferences are "a way to strengthen the efforts of survivors to cope with their losses while providing them with the opportunity to become engaged in suicide prevention," adds Gebbia.

"Through education and awareness we can stop suicides," says Smith. "If we can stop one person from taking his or her life, we've helped family members and friends avoid a lifetime of hurt and sorrow."

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is the only national, nonprofit organization dedicated to funding suicide prevention research and to offering educational programs and conferences for survivors, mental health professionals, physicians and the public.

- From The University of Texas-Houston Harris County Psychiatric Center

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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