Offering hope, comfort and support for survivors of suicide loss.
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 ...
I hate when I hear people say, "Get over it" and I try not to use those terms in any of my posts. I will never "get over" the loss of my dad, but I have been able to move forward. Through my own grief journey I have found how to live happily in my new normal. I have become a stronger person, and a person who has a stronger appreciation for my life and the people in it. I did not get there by getting over anything. I got there by moving ...
In a matter of days, the semicolon tattoo has become an overnight sensation. For those who have not heard of the The Semicolon Movement, it was created on Tumblr "to restore hope and confidence in people who are troubled by addiction, depression, self-harm, and suicide." It is a way to tell the world, "my story isn't finished yet." Since its introduction, many have chosen to permanently place the semicolon tattoo on themselves as an everyday ...
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 ...
I hate that we have created this notion that grief has a clear beginning and a clear ending. It is an expectation that sets us up for failure. I have spoken with a number of survivors who talk about feeling "stuck" in their grief. They go on to discuss how they still have moments of sadness, moments when they cry, and moments of anger or rage toward the loved one that they lost. Is this grief, absolutely. But, it is also a part of being ...
