Offering hope, comfort and support for survivors of suicide loss.
Submitted by guest author Nicole L.
Last year, for Suicide Prevention Month, I wrote about how difficult and intrusive it feels to see suicide prevention campaigns in public. The desire to reframe these messages resonated with a lot of people, so I want to elaborate on some things I hope others will keep in mind when sharing suicide awareness content this month.
The factors that contribute to dying from suicide are exceptionally complex. ...
Submitted by guest author Laura A Thor, DMin, LCSW
It is important for those of us who've lost someone to suicide, that we examine the awful guilt we take on. We feel guilt when those we tried so hard to protect manage to escape our efforts to manage their depression, addiction or self-hate and despair. We feel guilt for what we could not control: their inability to keep themselves safe and have hope through perhaps years of suffering. ...
Post submitted by guest author Nicole
It’s been three-and-a-half years since my dad died. In that time, I’ve cycled through a range of hostile grief emotions before landing in a place where I feel mostly settled and secure. If you would have asked me how I was a few months ago, I would have told you that my days felt manageable and predictable. Even though I miss him immensely, I could generally think about my dad and feel connected to him ...
I have written and asked over and over again, “Why was my love not enough to save my son, Tom?” And today the answer hit me. My love was not enough because mental illness is not about love. It is about biology. I am reminded of Amy Bleuel’s words, “It is a brain illness…” It is a physical illness which overtakes our bodies. Love is not enough to treat a broken bone or cancer or chronic pain or any other number of medical challenges we face. It is ...
Five years ago today, late in the afternoon, we received the call which shattered our lives. Our son, Tom, killed himself. My memories of that day are incomplete due to trauma. I do remember snapshots and short videos of the horror of the day which still have a hold on me although, through counseling, no longer suffocate me. Within hours, our family made the decision to be transparent about the cause of his death without realizing the ...
