Offering hope, comfort and support for survivors of suicide loss.
Being a survivor of a suicide loss is hard, there is no question about it. We are left with an unfinished story. We struggle to find people who understand the pain we are feeling. We work to make sense of this new world we are living in. We all know how difficult it is. So, why are we so hard on ourselves? I often hear other survivors of a suicide loss talk about their struggles. They talk about their flaws in their ability to grieve, ...
Talking about our loved ones after their death is especially difficult after a suicide. Not only is it painful for the survivor of the loss, but we have the added bonus of the other persons discomfort. That "Oh my gosh, what do I say" face. I think the most frustrating thing for me is the feeling that I have after. This overwhelming sense that I need to defend my dad's character. I have a wide array of stories about my dad, and still to this ...
Guilt is a topic covered on our blog quite often. It is one of the most difficult pieces to work through on your grief journey. Releasing yourself from the weight of guilt takes time. For me, it was the most difficult part to release. Letting go of the guilt felt like I was letting go of my father. After allowing it to weigh me down for far to long, I had to ask myself, "What is this doing for me?" Nothing. At least, nothing positive. ...
Social media. Sure, it's great. You might be reading this post as a result of social media. It keeps us connected, reunites loved ones, and gives us a platform to voice our opinions. Yet, there is a big problem with it. We make judgements about ourselves and our lives based on the content that appears in our newsfeed. We compare our inside to someone else's outside. Why did we have to be the ones to lose someone? Why do they get to be so ...
Recently, a friend of mine experienced a suicide loss. This was the first time that I had someone close to me lose someone in the same manner that I lost my dad. While I am constantly entrenched in suicide both personally and professionally something made this loss different. It hit close to home. A dear friend of mine called to tell me the news asking, "What can I do?" For the first time, I was at a loss. I thought about it and told her, ...
