The loss of a loved one to suicide is a trauma few would ever expect and can easily become a turning point in survivors’ lives relative to how they cope with situations moving forward.
Through suicide loss, we experience the worst of the worst: shattered lives, unthinkable tragedy and eternal questioning over how someone so close could do something so far from imaginable.
While I’ve always been a planner, navigating a sea of life change has ...
“What were they Thinking?”
As a survivor of a suicide loss, I have found myself asking, "What were they thinking?" From a rational mindset, it is easy to look at someone's situation and find a number of less permanent solutions than suicide. This often complicates the grief process even more, as we desperately try to understand the mindset of the person we lost to suicide. I recently re-watched the below video of Kevin Hines, suicide attempt survivor and mental health ...
I’m afraid of the fragility of life
Until my dad died by unexpected suicide, I had only ever lost loved ones to long battles with illness. Like many things in life, this was another of those things I didn’t have to think about before. “Suicide [and sudden loss] doesn’t happen to people like me,” I’d say. Now, I’m acutely aware of just how fragile life can be. Not only am I aware – lately, I’m crippled with anxiety about it.
Part of this has to do with paying too much attention ...
Facing Anxiety and Depression After Suicide Loss
Newly bereaved or a longtime survivor, it's always helpful to know we aren't alone in what we're feeling. Today, guest blogger Jennifer Scott, of SpiritFinder.org, shares tips and considerations for everyone navigating the grief journey.
Tragic Loss Can Spark Anxiety And Depression, But Support And Time Can Help
Facing the tragic loss of a loved one can turn someone’s world upside down and make moving forward a major challenge. Anxiety and ...
The Power of the Stigma of Mental Illness
Six months prior to losing my dad to suicide, I graduated with my Master's in Clinical Psychology. I entered the field working in community mental health where I received my first dose of reality when it comes to the stigma of mental illness. Working alongside individuals with chronic illnesses such as Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder One (yes, there are different kinds), and Major Depressive Disorder showed me firsthand how our society treats ...