Offering hope, comfort and support for survivors of suicide loss.
One question that I have been asked by many survivors is, "When will the guilt end?" I see the desperation in their eyes, and remember the overwhelming weight that I carried on my own shoulders following the loss of my father. We question what we could have done differently to prevent the tragic outcome that has become our reality. I have spent a great deal of time thinking about the element of guilt. I have written many posts on the topic, ...
This week, I heard the troubling news that someone I know has become newly bereaved to a loss by suicide. My heart aches to hear this and I’m immediately taken back to those early moments in the wake of losing my dad. I wanted to share some of the most helpful things I learned during those initial days.
My family and I weren’t alone. We were immediately surrounded with support, encouragement and offers to help – from those we knew and even ...
There is no good way to learn that someone you love has decided to end their life. We’ve all experienced that horrifying moment and can likely remember everything about it –what day of the week it was, what we were wearing and what we were doing shortly before our lives would be forever changed. The revelation about my dad’s death actually came to me via the news media and it made my loss all the more traumatizing. Any shred of privacy and ...
One of the main reasons this blog was created was to offer a different perspective on grief. Prior to my dad's death by suicide, I had only experienced death by natural cause. While any loss is painful, the loss of my father introduced me to a deeper pain than I had ever known. In the months following my dad's death I remember feeling so alone. How could anyone TRULY understand the intense emotions I was experiencing within. It simply isn't ...
Religion and suicide. Two words that are often not found in the same sentence. My religious beliefs and my faith have always brought me comfort. I never stressed about it. I never felt that I needed to explain it. I certainly never felt that I would need to defend it. Then my dad died by suicide. This is a topic I have yet to write about. I think it is time to go there...
Faith is often turned to in times of need. Faith gets many ...
