I lost a close friend to suicide last summer. What everyone is saying is true: the “reach out” method of suicide prevention is flawed. I reached out the Saturday before and a friend and I coordinated reaching out the day before. We knew it was bad. The problem was that

he was a recovering addict, depressed, and didn’t have the medical support he needed. My last texts from him detail how he was having trouble getting therapy. The conversation around suicide prevention needs to be centered around accessible and affordable healthcare for all.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t reach out to friends. We should always check in. Always always. I can’t stress that enough. But if you care about suicide prevention then you need to care about fighting for healthcare for all. Healthcare is a right not a privilege.