I guess my question is, How is being able to control suicidal tendencies any different than believing we can control mental illness? I believe we can work hard in therapy and in self-education to maintain a certain amount of regulation over our mental illness, but "control" is kind if a loaded word, one that seems to perpetuate stigma. I suspect the same is true for suicidal feelings.
And, like possum pointed out, having a fleeting thought about suicide is not the same as feeling suicidal or as acting on suicidal feelings.