Offering hope, comfort and support for survivors of suicide loss.
According to Merriam-Webster, denial can be defined as, "The refusal to admit the truth or reality of something." Somewhere along the way, we have labeled denial a bad thing. If you are denying something, then you clearly aren't dealing with it. The Stages of Grief, which has to date been considered the roadmap for grief, lists denial as the first stage that one goes through following the loss of a loved one. Before tackling denial, let me first ...
I’ve discovered something about myself as a survivor – I want the revelation that I lost my dad to suicide to come out as quickly as possible in new social situations.
This loss is a part of me – but it’s a huge part that affects my daily life.
And, here’s why I believe I’ve become so candid and forthcoming about suicide loss: I learned about my dad’s suicide during the work day at a longtime position. It was also a very public loss due to ...
I was recently reading the book, The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown. While the book is not focused on grief, I couldn't help but think about how difficult having compassion for ourselves is. Especially in the aftermath of a suicide when we struggle with not only acknowledging that this tragedy happened, but trying to make sense out of a senseless act. The following is an excerpt from the book, that I wanted to share:
"The word compassion ...
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 ...
We all pray for that moment, the moment when our loved ones suicide no longer occupies every minute of our day. Yet when it happens, we often experience an overwhelming amount of guilt. This guilt feels different from the guilt that remains after someone ends their life. We want to feel better; yet feeling right, often feels so wrong.
If you haven't experienced a suicide, you simply can't understand. Everyone tells you that your loved one ...
