Navigating Holiday Grief After Suicide Loss: Support and Strategies

Navigating Holiday Grief After Suicide Loss: Support and Strategies

Summary

The article “Navigating Holiday Grief After Suicide Loss: Support and Strategies” offers guidance for coping with grief during the holidays, particularly for those who have lost a child to suicide. It emphasizes open dialogue about grief, respecting personal boundaries, and embracing memories through simple activities. The article also provides resources, including books and support groups, to assist individuals navigating grief after suicide loss.

Holiday Grief Series

The suggestions from “Helping Yourself Heal During the Holiday Season” offer practical tips for coping with grief during the holidays. Alan D. Wolfelt, the author of these suggestions, writes prolifically about all aspects of grief. Wolfelt offers practical suggestions for handling grief (including for teens and kids), and he addresses grief in all the many ways it affects our lives. This article, “Helping Yourself Heal During the Holidays,” can be found in its entirety at Center for Loss and Life Transition. His considerable number of books are available on his website.

Introduction

Navigating Holiday Grief After Suicide Loss: Support and Strategies offers heartfelt guidance for those facing grief during the holiday season, especially for individuals and families enduring the deep heartache that accompanies the loss of a child to suicide. It shares Alan D. Wolfelt’s compassionate insights from the “Holiday Grief Series,” reminding us of the healing power of open dialogue about grief, encouraging individuals to express their feelings and share their experiences instead of holding them back.

“Navigating Holiday Grief After Suicide Loss: Support and Strategies” emphasizes the importance of respecting personal boundaries during this emotionally intense time, reassuring readers that it’s perfectly acceptable to step back or take breaks as needed. The article also highlights the value of reducing stressors that may overwhelm those who are grieving, advocating for simple holiday activities that honor cherished memories without adding unnecessary pressure. Embracing memories—like sharing stories, revisiting beloved traditions, or creating memorials—can nurture healing and connection among loved ones.

A wealth of supportive resources for navigating the complexities of suicide and managing grief, including a thoughtful collection of insightful books, online articles, and support groups designed specifically to assist those carrying this heavy emotional burden during festive times, is included at the end of this article.

Related Reads

• Coping with Guilt After Losing a Child to Suicide
• The Pain of Losing a Child: Holidays Bring Reflection
• Coping with Holiday Grief: A Guide for Parents
• Coping with Holiday Grief After Suicide Loss
• Coping with Holiday Grief: Self-Care Tips to Navigate the Season

---

“Festive Survival Guide for Those Dreading the Holidays”

Dr. Lucy Hone shares her annual survival guide, “Festive Survival Guide for Those Dreading the Holidays,” specifically designed for those who are navigating the complex emotions of grief. Hone’s insightful guide provides practical coping strategies and offers heartfelt support and understanding for those facing what can be an incredibly challenging time of year.

With compassion and expertise, Dr. Lucy Hone addresses the unique difficulties that arise during the holidays, ensuring that readers feel less alone in their experiences while equipping them with tools to manage their emotions and find moments of peace amidst the chaos of the holidays. Whether through mindfulness exercises, tips for creating new traditions, or advice on reaching out for support, Dr. Hone’s guide offers hope for anyone who may be dreading the upcoming celebrations.

“Festive Survival Guide for Those Dreading the Holidays“

Written by Dr. Lucy Hone

Holidays have a way of illuminating whatever hurts.
Whether you’re grieving a person, a relationship, your health, your old life, or the version of yourself you miss – your feelings make perfect sense.

Now is not the time for perfection. You’re going to have to let all that go, and find your way to muddle through, knowing that every year will be different – you just have to get through this one.

December, people come to me saying the same thing: “I dread this time of year. I don’t know how I’m going to get through it.”

Some are preparing for their first holiday season after life spun suddenly off its axis – a bereavement, diagnosis, divorce, estrangement, job loss, or some unwelcome change they never saw coming. Others are dreading another year of that yawning gap between where life is… and where they hoped it would be.

If you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or secretly wishing you could skip the whole thing completely, you are not alone. Far from it. The holidays are hard for so many people, especially when you’re navigating grief, uncertainty, or any unwanted life transition.

Below are the research-informed, but deeply practical strategies I’ve seen help thousands of people reduce the dread, reign in the emotional load, and find relief at a time of year that can feel anything but festive.

Taking a realistic approach to the holidays isn’t pessimistic, it’s protective. When you’re grieving or navigating unwanted change, this season can feel brutal. Be kind to yourself. Lower the bar. Honour your needs alongside everyone else’s. You matter too.

Dr Lucy Hone, Holiday Survival Guide, grief and loss blog, drlucyhone.com.

“Why the Holidays Feel Hard When You’re Grieving or Life Has Gone Sideways”

This article, “Why the Holidays Feel Hard When You’re Grieving or Life Has Gone Sideways”, too, is by Dr. Lucy Hone. She’s direct, to the point, and adamant about protecting yourself during a season that can easily seem frantic and chaotic, especially when you’re grieving. In her insightful writing, she emphasizes the importance of self-care, encouraging readers to carve out moments of serenity amidst the turmoil.

Dr. Hone shares practical strategies and reminders that help navigate the emotional complexities that arise during such difficult times, urging readers to prioritize their mental and emotional well-being. She suggests that by leaning into supportive relationships, acknowledging one’s feelings, and creating small rituals of remembrance, one can honor the memory of loved ones while creating a semblance of peace and stability in their daily lives.

“Why the Holidays Feel Hard When You’re Grieving or Life Has Gone Sideways“

Written by Dr. Lucy Hone

The holiday season tends to amplify whatever is already going on inside us. When you’re grieving – be that from a death loss or a living loss (diagnosis, caregiving, fertility struggles, a relationship ending, family breakdown, financial upheaval, life not looking how you imagined) – your nervous system is already working overtime.

Layer on pressure to “be merry,” family expectations and unavoidable encounters, financial strain, intense nostalgia and constant reminders of how life used to be, and it’s no wonder so many people wish they could wake up in January.

Expect Big Emotions: They’re All Part of the Package

⭐ You are likely to feel some very big emotions: waves of sadness, unexpected tears, irritability, anxiety, guilt, numbness, or moments of relief. All of this is normal. Think of your emotions as data, not verdicts on how you’re coping. Feelings aren’t good or bad: they’re information.

⭐ Remember: grief is as individual as your fingerprint. Just because you’re crying and someone else isn’t doesn’t mean they’re not hurting. We all process loss differently.

⭐ Make a plan for how you’ll take mini breaks – not the kind with Hugh Grant, just a moment to step outside, catch your breath in the bathroom, take a short walk on your own, or five minutes in the car when you’re pretending to look for something. You are not responsible for keeping everyone else comfortable.

Protect Your Energy: The Science-Backed Power of Saying No

The end of the year is exhausting enough. Add grief or big life changes into the mix and your energy budget shrinks dramatically.

⭐ Give yourself permission to say no — to the office party, the festive drinks, the wreath-making workshop, the cards, the baking, the extended-family marathon.

⭐ Start small. Say no to one inconsequential thing and feel the liberation. Spoiler alert: the world keeps turning.

⭐ You’ve never judged someone for not attending a party; others won’t judge you either. Owning what you can realistically manage isn’t being antisocial, it’s just being honest.

Make Space for the Good Moments Too (Yes, even when you’re grieving)

Among the tears, there will also be moments of laughter, warmth, pride, calm, connection or relief.

⭐ Don’t shut those down. Mixed emotions are part of grieving. Having a good moment doesn’t betray your pain or your person.

⭐ Actively look back over each day for the tiny nuggets of good; what psychologists call capitalising. It helps nurture psychological recovery. Who has shown up for you? What strength surprised you? What have you got through that you never imagined? Let those count.

Use This One Question All Season: “Is This Helping or Harming Me?”

This is one of the most powerful self-regulation tools I teach.

⭐ Ask it gently, but often:
“Is what I’m doing (or thinking, or agreeing to) helping or harming me in my quest to get through this?”

It brings clarity fast and puts you in the driver’s seat of your experience, your life.
– Is that fourth glass of bubbles helping or harming your ability to make a speedy exit?
– Is scrolling Instagram and comparing yourself helping or harming?
– Is agreeing to three nights away, when you know you can only handle one, helping or harming?
– Is driving separately so you can leave early helping or harming?
– Is buying takeout instead of cooking helping or harming?

Managing Family Dynamics When Everyone’s Tired and Tetchy

There’s an old saying: “Guests are like fish — three days and they’re past their best.”

Holidays put pressure on everyone. Add grief to the mix, and the emotional load rises again.

⭐ Family time is complex, often messy. Instagram-perfect Christmases are fictional – release your unrealistic expectations.

⭐ Grief and trauma can amplify behaviours, so tensions may bubble up faster than usual. Apologise where needed, take a break, and don’t force togetherness beyond what’s healthy. Get out, get up, leave.

Release Perfect: “Good Enough” Is the Target This Year

⭐ Lower the bar. Let go of the pressure to do it all: the cake, the decorations, the matching outfits, the elaborate meals. If there was ever a year to simplify, it’s this one. Good enough is good enough.

⭐ Self-compassion is key. Ask yourself:
“What would being kind to myself look like right now?” Honour that.

Create (or Ditch) Rituals That Support Your Healing

Rituals can comfort or constrict us. Which ones are helping? Which ones are harming? Be flexible.

⭐ Discuss which traditions you might pause, adapt, or introduce this year. You’re not breaking anything: you’re responding to your reality.

⭐ Consider rituals that honour the person or the version of life you’ve lost:
– Light a candle
– Make a playlist
– Cook their favourite food
– Wear their jersey or jewellery
– Hang one symbolic ornament
– Donate to a cause they loved
– Write them a message
– Take a moment of quiet remembrance

It Won’t Always Feel Like This: Grief, Change and the Passing of Time

Every year is different. Next year won’t be like this. You only have to get through this year.

⭐ Time doesn’t eliminate grief, but it does change it. After ten Christmases without our girl, I can say with full honesty: every year has felt different.

⭐ Nothing you decide this year sets a precedent. You’re not locked into these choices. Right now, the priority is getting through in the gentlest way possible.

Focus on one small step, then the next. That is enough.

A Quick Plan to Reduce Holiday Dread (Use This Now)

Here are simple things that make a real difference:

– Name the moments or events you’re dreading
– Decide what you’ll say no to (and stick to it)
– Plan escape routes or breaks
– Set expectations low and kindness high
– Choose one ritual that supports you
– Decide who your safe people are
– Ask “helping or harming?” when you’re unsure or struggling.

Closing Thoughts

Taking a realistic approach to the holidays isn’t pessimistic, it’s protective. When you’re grieving or navigating unwanted change, this season can feel brutal. Be kind to yourself. Lower the bar. Honour your needs alongside everyone else’s. You matter too.

Dr. Lucy Hone, “Festive Survival Guide for those Grieving the Holidays,” , drlucyhone.com

Navigating Grief During the Holidays

Alan Wolfert’s “Helping Yourself Heal During the Holiday Season” offers practical tips and strategies for surviving the throes of grief during the holidays, a time that can be particularly challenging for those who have experienced loss. The article delves into the emotional complexities that arise during family gatherings and celebrations, providing readers with a roadmap to navigate their feelings.

Through thoughtful insights and exercises, Wolfert encourages individuals to honor their loved ones while also finding ways to create new traditions. This essential guide serves as a source of comfort during the holidays, empowering readers to embrace their healing journey, lending resilience during a time when joy and sorrow often intertwine.

“Helping Yourself Heal During the Holiday Season”

By Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D

(To read this article in its entirety, go here: Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D., “Helping Yourself Heal During the Holiday Season,” Center for Loss. This article is also available as a book at Center for Loss.)

You Are Not Alone

Holidays are often difficult for anyone who has experienced the death of someone loved. Rather than being times of family togetherness, sharing, and thanksgiving, holidays can bring feelings of sadness, loss, and emptiness.

No simple guidelines exist that will take away the hurt you are feeling. We hope, however, the following suggestions will help you better cope with your grief during this joyful, yet painful, time of the year. Remember that by being tolerant and compassionate with yourself, you will continue to heal.

Talk About Your Grief

During the holiday season, don’t be afraid to express your feelings of grief. Ignoring your grief won’t make the pain go away and talking about it openly often makes you feel better. Find caring friends and relatives who will listen—without judging you. They will help make you feel understood.

Be Tolerant of Your Physical and Psychological Limits

Feelings of loss will probably leave you fatigued. Your low energy level may naturally slow you down. Respect what your body and mind are telling you. And lower your own expectations about being at your peak during the holiday season.

Eliminate Unnecessary Stress

You may already feel stressed, so don’t overextend yourself. Avoid isolating yourself but be sure to recognize the need to have special time for yourself. Realize also that merely “keeping busy” won’t distract you from your grief but may actually increase stress and postpone the need to talk out thoughts and feelings related to your grief.

Be With Supportive, Comforting People

Identify those friends and relatives who understand that the holiday season can increase your sense of loss and who will allow you to talk openly about your feelings. Find those persons who encourage you to be yourself and accept your feelings—both happy and sad.

Talk About the Person Who Has Died

Include the person’s name in your holiday conversation. If you are able to talk candidly, other people are more likely to recognize your need to remember that special person who was an important part of your life.

Do What Is Right for You During the Holidays

Well-meaning friends and family often try to prescribe what is good for you during the holidays. Instead of going along with their plans, focus on what you want to do. Discuss your wishes with a caring, trusted friend. Talking about these wishes will help you clarify what it is you want to do during the holidays. As you become aware of your needs, share them with your friends and family.

Plan Ahead for Family Gatherings

Decide which family traditions you want to continue and which new ones you would like to begin. Structure your holiday time. This will help you anticipate activities, rather than just reacting to whatever happens. Getting caught off guard can create feelings of panic, fear, and anxiety during the time of the year when your feelings of grief are already heightened. As you make your plans, however, leave room to change them if you feel it is appropriate.

Embrace Your Treasure of Memories

Memories are one of the best legacies that exist after the death of someone loved. And holidays always make you think about times past. Instead of ignoring these memories, share them with your family and friends. Keep in mind that memories are tinged with both happiness and sadness. If your memories bring laughter, smile. If your memories bring sadness, then it’s all right to cry. Memories made in love can never be taken away from you.

Renew Your Resources for Living

Spend time thinking about the meaning and purpose of your life. The death of someone loved created opportunities for taking inventory of your life—past, present and future. The combination of a holiday and a loss naturally results in looking inward and assessing your individual situation. Make the best use of this time to define the positive things in life that surround you.

Express Your Faith

During the holidays, you may find a renewed sense of faith or discover a new set of beliefs. Associate with people who understand and respect your need to talk about these beliefs. If your faith is important, you may want to attend a holiday service or special religious ceremony. As you approach the holidays, remember: grief is both a necessity and a privilege. It comes as a result of giving and receiving love. Don’t let anyone take your grief away. Love yourself. Be patient with yourself. And allow yourself to be surrounded by loving, caring people.

Alan D. Wolfert, “Helping Yourself Heal During the Holiday Season,” Center for Loss

Navigating Suicide Grief During the Holidays

Holding space for the sadness has been key to my navigating grief during the holidays. Expectations run rampant with others wanting obligatory replies to luncheons, parties, and gift exchanges, and in the midst of a world whirling too quickly without my son, I say “yes” when I realize later that I really meant “no.”

Taking care of myself means granting myself permission to cancel at the last minute, to not go, even after I’ve said “yes, I’ll be there,” and to take time to just “be.” Self-care seemed daunting in early grief, and for a long time, I sought to understand what “self-care” meant in terms of the agony of acute grief. Now I understand that the best way I can take care of myself is to honor my grief, including, at times, taking time off just to be with my grief.

Taking Self Time

Grief can be exhausting, shattering, heavy. Taking self time means, too, setting aside the heaviness of grief. Choose again. Find solace in momentary glimmers of hope: a cup of tea, newly fallen snow, comfort in knowing the days will grow longer again. Winter solstice comes and go, sunset skies linger and retreat, and hope rises again in the dawn.

I write letters, journal, read, and after more than a decade of grief, bake a few cookies, usually the tried-and-true oatmeal chocolate-chip cookies. In early grief, I tried to made Snickerdoodles, a cookie Dylan had loved and one that he and I made together each holiday season. I broke down in tears and ended up being unable to bake the cookies, even though I had managed to make the sweet, sticky dough. My heart couldn’t bear not seeing the delight on his face as he sprinkled the tops of the Snickerdoodles with cinnamon and sugar.

Dreaming of a White Christmas

Today I am surprised by the heaviness of my own grief. It’s been thirteen years, thirteen holiday seasons, all of which I thought I’d never make it through, and yet somehow, have always come through because just like all other days of the year, this too shall pass.

Tonight my heart aches with grief, with absence, with longing for a smile that my heart remembers. I let linger my waking dream of seeing Dylan for Christmas, of hearing him knock on my door, of laughter and merriment outside, of my opening my front door to see my son smiling wide and reaching his outstretched arms to embrace me. Against his 6’2″ frame, I stand small, encased in his shadow, enveloped by his love.

For many, the holiday season is a time for family, togetherness, and festive celebration. However, it is important to acknowledge that this time of year can also bring sadness, especially for those who have lost a loved one to suicide. This specific type of loss can bring feelings of anger, frustration, and loneliness. However you are feeling, and whether your loss was recent or many years ago, we are here for you. You are not alone. 

Hold space for the sadness  

It is essential to embrace the full spectrum of emotions, from gratitude to grief, like missing our loved ones while also having gratitude for the things we do have. There is heart space for all the feelings to be felt. It is possible to miss our loved ones and also enjoy those who are with us. Connecting with joy does not diminish your loss or sadness. Both things can be true. Awareness of the range of emotions you are feeling can be healing as you honor the sadness of absence and gratitude for the present. 

Say their names out loud  

Speak their names and tell stories about them, as this is how we keep their spirit alive. Focus on who they were and the love they shared. Remembering how they lived (over how they died) can help us feel closer to them and honor their memory with warmth.  

Take care of yourselves 

Be your own biggest advocate, recognizing your limits and respecting what you may or may not be ready to handle. Rest when you need to, cry if it comes up. Have confidence to decline invitations that feel overwhelming. Don’t shy away from creating new traditions that align with your current feelings and needs.  

Feel your feelings 

Allow yourself to fully experience your emotions, even the ones that feel most daunting. It’s normal to fear becoming trapped in our feelings, but the healing process requires us to confront and acknowledge them. Allow the anger, sadness, and frustration to be seen and heard.  

Know you are not alone

Sissi O’Shaughnessy (Senior Director of Suicide Grief Support at Samaritans where she oversees SafePlace grief support group meetings, Survivor to Survivor visit, and the launch of a LOSS Team – an effort to connect loss survivors with peer support immediately following a suicide), “Navigating Suicide Grief During the Holidays,” December 19, 2024

---

Practical Strategies and Tips for Easing Grief During the Holidays

The author writes “Choose ONE tip that resonates with you, give it a go, and see if it helps, before trying the others. Grief is as individual as your fingerprint, the trick is to find what works for you,” and I know immediately which one I choose: LOWER THE BAR.

Yes! Lower the Bar. Just for today, I don’t have to be everything to every one everywhere doing every thing. Today I am enough, just as I am. Just for today, I am okay not being okay. My heart hurts. My head hurts. I miss my son. My grief matters.

You matter too. Take care of you.

“5 Practical Ways to Ease Grief Immediately”

Tools That Help

26 Jun

Grief can make us feel desperate – desperately out of control, desperately sad and fearful, desperate to return to your old life, desperately lonely and isolated. Faced with all that desperation, it makes sense that many people come to me asking what they can do to ease the pain, reduce the turmoil, and help them exert a measure of control over what’s happening.

Here then are five practical tips, backed by research and years of experience working with grievers, you can use immediately.

1 – Dial Back the Guilt

If you find yourself feeling you’re ‘not grieving right’ or feeling uncomfortable about laughing at such a terrible time, please STOP! Research now shows there’s no right or wrong way to grieve (i.e. there are no 5 Stages of Grief – that’s a total myth). If you’re having good moments, or finding yourself laughing that’s because your body is programmed to experience both positive and negative emotions – even during grief. This is not toxic positivity, but scientific fact! Positive emotional experiences are not only common in grief, but they play a vital role in allowing you to experience some respite. It’s not only okay to laugh, it’s good to laugh, or experience a moment of pride over how you are coping, feel gratitude towards your friends, or even feel lucky to be alive. That doesn’t make you a monster, it just makes you human.

2 – Press Pause on Unhelpful Relationships

Bereavement tests even the best relationships, that’s quite normal. Most recover with time. Don’t beat yourself up about changing relationships. But do know that because we all grieve differently, other people may experience and demonstrate their grief in a completely different way to you.

3 -Identify the Help You Actually Need

Some people are better at providing emotional support, some physical assistance, others practical support, others will help you with informational knowledge such as help with legal/financial advice. Some may be useless at all of that, but always talk about your loved one, are never afraid to say their name, and will help keep their memories alive in a way that others could never do. Don’t expect one person to cover all of these. Cast your net as widely as you can, and notice what each person CAN do (not just their failings!).

4 – Approach Grief in Manageable Chunks

Contemporary  research demonstrates it’s completely natural & healthy to approach your grief and then pull back and take a break. We oscillate back and forth between facing it and avoiding it, and that’s okay. Distracting activities can be helpful for taking your mind off if for a while, giving your poor mind and heart a bit of respite from all of that emotional heavy lifting.

5 – Lower the Bar

Grief is physically, emotionally and cognitively exhausting –  let yourself sleep when you can. Don’t be harsh on yourself, this is tough and gruelling work. Some days you may feel okay, and can be surprisingly productive, at other times you may need to succumb to the couch or hide under the duvet. Don’t beat yourself up, go with the flow. You’ll eventually get hungry and have to move.

Choose ONE tip that resonates with you, give it a go, and see if it helps, before trying the others. Grief is as individual as your fingerprint, the trick is to find what works for you. We’re all different. Every death/relationship is different too. 

Dr. Lucy Hone, “5 Practical Ways to Ease Grief Immediately”

Tools That Help, drlucyhone.com, 26 Jun

---

Support and Resources from My Forever Son Blog

Key Resources for Understanding Suicide

The articles below include key resources for understanding suicide and coping with grief. They offer compassionate guidance. Notably, the “Rain Comes to Heal Us All” Poem: Finding Hope After Loss, provides solace. Grief involves stigma, guilt, and various emotions from anger to relief.

Research indicates that suicide is not a conscious choice, necessitating a non-judgmental emotional healing approach. Support groups and educational materials empower survivors, fostering community connections.

The content includes the author’s story of losing her child, emotional support resources, insights on suicide, grief duration discussions, and resources for bereaved parents.

Healing After Suicide: Essential Books for Parents

Healing After Suicide: Essential Books for Parents is a comprehensive resource for parents grieving the loss of a child to suicide. The book offers a curated list of books, including practical guides, narratives, poetry, and novels, providing support and understanding for those navigating grief. The author, Beth Brown, shares her personal journey of loss and healing, emphasizing the importance of support groups and educational materials in the grieving process.

Understanding Suicide: It’s Not a Choice

Understanding Suicide: It’s Not a Choice explores the emotional complexities surrounding suicide, challenging the notion that it is a choice. Dr. John Ackerman highlights the myriad factors influencing suicidal thoughts, emphasizing that individuals often seek relief from overwhelming pain rather than wanting to end their lives. This piece encourages empathy and awareness, making it essential reading for those wanting to support loved ones in distress.

Healing After Losing a Child to Suicide: Support, Resources, and Self-Care for Bereaved Parents

Healing After Losing a Child to Suicide, Support, Resources, and Self-Care for Bereaved Parents offers a comprehensive list of resources and support for individuals grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide. It includes personal insights, professional perspectives, and a curated selection of books and support groups. The author, Beth Brown, shares her own experience of losing her son to suicide and emphasizes the importance of seeking help and understanding.

Surviving Suicide Grief: Does the Pain Ever End?

Surviving Suicide Grief: Does the Pain Ever End? offers a compassionate look at and attempts to response to one of the most profound challenges of longterm grief after suicide loss: Does the pain of losing a child to suicide is profound and never fully goes away, but it does change and become a part of one’s life. Finding support through counseling, support groups, and connecting with others who have experienced similar losses is crucial for healing. Grief is a journey with seasons that come and go, and it is possible to learn to live with the pain while honoring the love for the lost child.

To those of you that still feel you aren’t even sure you want to be here and you can’t imagine ever being happy again. The pain does change, it softens. You will want to live again and be able to enjoy life again. It will never be like before but the crushing, all consuming pain you feel right now will soften. You will be able to live with it. It just becomes part of you.

A parent who lost their child to suicide

---

Understanding the Pain of Suicide Loss: “When Someone is Too Bruised to Be Touched”

Understanding the Pain of Suicide Loss: “When Someone is Too Bruised to Be Touched” features Ronald Rolheiser’s writings on suicide which offer a compassionate and spiritual perspective, emphasizing that suicide is often a tragic consequence of mental illness, not a voluntary act. He encourages loved ones to release guilt and second-guessing, understanding that they are not responsible for the person’s death. Rolheiser also highlights the importance of remembering the deceased’s life beyond their suicide, trusting in God’s infinite love and understanding.

---

Understanding Suicide: Why the Pain Matters

Understanding Suicide: Why the Pain Matters explores the pain and grief surrounding suicide, emphasizing that it is not a conscious choice but a desperate attempt to escape unbearable suffering. The article highlights current research, personal stories, and compassionate support for those struggling with depression and mental health, aiming to break the stigma surrounding suicide. It provides resources and insights into the complexities of grief and the journey towards healing.

---

The Backstory to My Forever Son: A Mother’s Grief

The Backstory to My Forever Son: A Mother’s Grief, recounts the author’s harrowing experience of losing her son to suicide. Her story highlights her grief, guilt, and the healing power of writing. The blog “My Forever Son” came about as a way for the author to work through this devastating grief that follows the loss of a child to suicide. My Forever Son blog serves as a platform for sharing experiences and finding healing and solace in community.

Navigating Grief: Strategies for Grief and Healing After Losing a Child to Suicide

These resources for navigating grief offer helpful coping strategies and tips for suicide loss of a child. Practical advice and grief tips can help parents move through grief and healing.

15 Essential Grief Tips for Parents After a Child’s Suicide

15 Essential Grief Tips for Parents After a Child’s Suicide includes valuable tips and insights for parents grieving the loss of a child to suicide, offering practical advice on seeking help, connecting with others, and finding ways to cope with grief. The personal experiences and suggestions offer meaningful support for parents dealing with this devastating loss. A comprehensive guide for parents grieving the loss of a child to suicide, this post offers support and resources to help parents who lose a child to suicide navigate this difficult journey. Remember, you are not alone. There is a community of parents who are ready to listen, understand, and support you through this painful chapter of your life.

Navigating Grief After Losing a Child to Suicide: Essential Resources

Navigating Grief After Losing a Child to Suicide: Essential Resources s a compassionate guide designed to support parents who are heartbroken from the loss of a child to suicide. This resource delves into the multifaceted emotions that accompany such profound grief, highlighting the crucial need for self-care, the value of seeking professional help, and the comfort of connecting with support groups. It offers coping strategies and thoughtful grief tips, such as engaging in creative pursuits, finding peace in nature, and honoring your child’s memory through meaningful memorials.

Finding Solace After Losing a Child to Suicide: “Build a Life of Love Around the Loss”

Finding Solace After Losing a Child to Suicide: “Build a Life of Love Around the Loss”explores the emotional turmoil of grief and offers guidance for healing. Through personal narratives and expert insights, the article emphasizes that parents are not alone in their pain and provides 16 practical tips for continuing the bonds with the lost child. It highlights the importance of coping strategies, honoring deceased loved ones, and navigating the complexities of grief.

Support for Parents Grieving a Child’s Suicide: Guidance, Resources, and Healing

Support for Parents Grieving a Child’s Suicide: Guidance, Resources, and Healing is a guide offering support and resources for parents grieving the loss of a child to suicide. It emphasizes seeking professional help, joining support groups, and practicing self-care. The guide includes book recommendations, support organizations, and a glossary of terms to aid in understanding and navigating grief. Compassionate support is available to help you with your journey.

Healing After Suicide: Essential Books for Parents

Healing After Suicide: Essential Books for Parents is a comprehensive resource for parents grieving the loss of a child to suicide. The book offers a curated list of books, including practical guides, narratives, poetry, and novels, providing support and understanding for those navigating grief. The author, Beth Brown, shares her personal journey of loss and healing, emphasizing the importance of support groups and educational materials in the grieving process.

Professional Resources for Support

Heartfelt Stories of Love, Loss, and Remembrance

Explore heartfelt narratives and reflections on the profound strength of love, the agony of loss, and the enduring essence of remembering those we cherished and lost. In these stories, delve into the intricate tapestry of emotions that love weaves, showcasing not only the joyous moments but also the poignant struggles that arise in times of sorrow.

The Backstory to My Forever Son: A Mother’s Grief

The Backstory to My Forever Son: A Mother’s Grief recounts the author’s experience of losing her son to suicide, highlighting her grief, guilt, and the healing power of writing. The blog “My Forever Son” emerged as a way for her to navigate this devastating loss, serving as a platform for sharing experiences and finding solace in community. My Forever Son: Healing After Losing a Child to Suicide is a heartfelt blog by Beth Brown that chronicles her profound journey through grief and healing following the suicide of her son, Dylan, using poetry, reflections, and nature photography.

Overview of My Forever Son Blog

Beth Brown’s blog, My Forever Son: Healing After Losing My Son to Suicide, is an intimate account of her life after losing her 20-year-old son, Dylan, to suicide. The blog captures her harrowing experience of grief, the guilt and despair she faced, and the ways she has sought healing over the years. Through writing, particularly poetry, she expresses emotions that had been otherwise inexpressible during the early, overwhelming stages of her mourning 

Content and Themes

• Poems as Reflection and Healing: The blog features a series of poems, including Find Hope Here: Poetic Reflections on Grief and Healing which explore the depth of sorrow, longing, and hope experienced after losing a child. These poems often intertwine personal narratives and memories, offering readers insight into the emotional journey of a bereaved parent.
• Personal Journey: Beth shares the timeline of her grief, describing the initial devastation, the silencing of her voice, and her struggle to find hope. Writing began as a journal, eventually transforming into a poetic endeavor that allowed her to process sorrow while reconnecting with her creative and expressive self.
• Photography and Nature as Healing: The blog incorporates photographs of Beth’s gardens across seasons, showing how observing the cycles of nature helped her find moments of calm, renewal, and hope amid grief. Spring blooms and gradual seasonal changes symbolize resilience and the eventual emergence of joy following loss 
• Community and Support: The blog also emphasizes the importance of connecting with others who have experienced similar loss, highlighting that shared grief can reduce the sense of isolation that often accompanies bereavement 

Purpose and Impact

The aim of My Forever Son is to offer solace and understanding to parents confronting child loss, providing a space for reflection and healing. Through her poetry, Beth Brown shows that grief can endure, yet moments of hope and remembrance are possible. Her work is part of Find Hope Here: Poetic Reflections on Grief and Healing including 19 poems on love, loss, and recovery, sharing her son’s life and her reflections on carrying grief with cherished memories.

The Magnolia Tree: A Symbol of Grief and Resilience

The Magnolia Tree: A Symbol of Grief and Resilience is a heartfelt exploration of the author’s journey through grief after losing her son to suicide. It draws parallels between the cycles of nature and the seasons of healing, illustrated by the vibrant blooms of spring and the dormancy of winter. The magnolia tree symbolizes both grief and resilience, representing enduring love and remembrance of “My Forever Son.” With its association of strength, dignity, and perseverance, the magnolia serves as a fitting emblem for perseverance in the face of loss. Its blooms evoke purity and beauty, creating a gentle tribute to a loved one.

In mourning a child, the magnolia embodies the pain of loss and the hope of healing. Planting one acts as a living memorial, where love grows alongside the tree, and its blooms symbolize the endurance of the heart. Magnolia trees signify the continuity of life, offering comfort during grief, and many families choose them for gardens, finding a representation of both sorrow and hope. The magnolia stands as a living tribute to grief and eternal memory.

A Grandmother’s Love Held Together the Family Table

A grandmother’s enduring love is the invisible thread that binds generations, keeping the family together and filling hearts with warmth.

“A Grandmother’s Love Held Together the Family Table” is a heartwarming story about a family’s enduring love, symbolized by a family table. The table, originally purchased by the grandmother, becomes a sacred space where the family gathers, sharing laughter, joy, and celebrations. The narrative explores the profound grief of losing a child to suicide, highlighting how the family table becomes a site of reflection and remembrance.

A Grandmother’s Love Held Together the Family Table beautifully captures the essence of family connection. A grandmother serves as the cornerstone of family life, nurturing traditions and offering unconditional love. Her presence weaves comfort and wisdom into daily moments, inspiring kindness in children. A grandmother’s love acts as the glue that holds a family together, creating warmth and shared memories around the table.

Twenty Years of Love: Dylan

“Twenty Years of Love: Dylan My Forever Son” is a heartfelt blog post that honors Dylan Andrew Brown, reflecting on his life, enduring love, and the profound grief of losing a child to suicide.

Twenty Years of Love: Dylan is a beautiful guest post by the author’s sister that looks back over the life of Dylan, reflecting on cherished memories, significant milestones, and the profound impact he had on the lives of those who loved him. The post invites readers to journey through the years alongside Dylan, celebrating his accomplishments, the lessons learned, and the indelible mark he left on the hearts of family and friends alike. It serves not only as a tribute but also as a heartfelt reminder of the power of love and remembrance, encouraging everyone to hold tight to their own memories of those who have touched their lives. Twenty Years of Love: Dylan, gone too soon. 

Key themes in this post include:

• Enduring Love: A mother’s connection with her son continues even after death, showing that grief is interwoven with remembrance and devotion 
• Grief and Healing: The blog is part of a broader effort to chronicle grief and share hope, offering support to others coping with the loss of a child 
• Personal Tribute: Dylan is remembered as a gifted student, musician, friend, and beloved son, with his achievements and personality celebrated alongside the grief 

Grandparents’ Double Grief: Losing a Grandchild to Suicide

Grandparents’ Double Grief: Losing a Grandchild to Suicide explores the profound grief experienced by grandparents who endure the heartbreaking loss of a grandchild to the tragic circumstances of suicide, delving into the emotional turmoil, feelings of helplessness, and the complex process of mourning that accompanies such a devastating multiple loss. A grandparent grieves not just for their grandchild, but also for their own child whose life is forever changed.

The grief grandparents experience after losing a grandchild to suicide is profound and multifaceted, often described as a “double grief” because it involves mourning both the grandchild and the deep pain of their own child, the parent.

Unique Emotional Journey for Grandparents
Grandparents’ grief is often intense and complicated by feelings of helplessness knowing their own child is deeply suffering. They may experience shock, numbness, guilt, anger, and profound sadness, sometimes feeling invisible or “forgotten mourners” as attention tends to focus on the parents. This grief often lasts much longer than society expects and involves many emotional ups and downs. Grandparents may struggle to express their loss openly, yet their need to acknowledge and remember the grandchild remains strong.

Deep Insights on the Challenges of Grief

Discover thought-provoking articles from My Forever Son blog that delve into the profound intricacies of understanding the unique aspects of suicide grief, particularly in connection with the devastating loss of a child to suicide. These articles offer invaluable insights into the emotional turmoil and complex feelings that arise in the wake of such an unimaginable tragedy. By exploring personal stories, expert opinions, and coping strategies, the blog aims to provide a compassionate space for parents and loved ones navigating their grief.

Understanding the Unique Aspects of Suicide Grief

Understanding the Unique Aspects of Suicide Grief is a beautifully written and profoundly personal piece that gently explores the unique hurdles of dealing with the grief that follows a suicide. The author shares her heartfelt emotional journey, illustrating how deeply grief has woven itself into the fabric of her life. By incorporating personal stories, expert insights, and supportive resources, this post not only provides authenticity but also offers a comforting hand to those who may be navigating similar paths of loss and sorrow.

Compassionate Resources for Grieving Parents

Compassionate Resources for Grieving Parents This letter from Beth Brown, a mother who lost her only child, Dylan, to suicide 14 years ago, offers compassionate guidance for newly bereaved parents. Beth’s healing journey is personal: she created the blog My Forever Son as a sanctuary for poetry and reflection. She shares how tending her gardens and her pets provided comfort during dark times, weaving in Alan Wolfelt’s Ten Touchstones for Hope and Healing along with practical coping strategies and moments of authentic hope.

Understanding Suicide: Why the Pain Matters

Understanding Suicide: Why the Pain Matters offers a heartfelt exploration of the immense pain tied to suicide, affecting both those who die by it and their grieving loved ones. Titled “Understanding Suicide: It’s Not About Wanting to Die; It’s About Wanting the Pain to Stop,” this article reaches out to bereaved families with research, statistics, and videos that illuminate this personal issue. By breaking the stigma around suicide, it weaves personal stories and expert insights, fostering understanding of the need to acknowledge pain in these discussions. Resources for support are included.

Understanding Suicide: It’s Not a Choice

Understanding Suicide: It’s Not a Choice is a compassionate article that explores the concept of “choice” in the heartbreaking context of a child’s suicide. It emphasizes the complexity of suicide, reminding us that various factors, such as mental health issues and social pressures, contribute to this devastating outcome. The piece encourages readers to recognize the importance of empathy and support for affected families while challenging societal misconceptions surrounding suicide. Through expert insights, it serves as a vital resource for those grieving or seeking to understand the influences behind such a loss, advocating for awareness and open dialogues on mental health among children and adolescents.

When Love Isn’t Enough: “Ode to Suicide: That We Might Understand”

When Love Isn’t Enough: “Ode to Suicide: That We Might Understand” is a poignant exploration of the complexities surrounding the topic of suicide, intricately challenging the prevalent notion that suicide is simply a choice made by individuals in despair. Beth Brown, the author of the powerful treatise, “Ode to Suicide: That We Might Understand,” delves deep into the emotional and psychological dimensions of this tragic phenomenon, emphasizing the inevitability of death for all, regardless of the circumstances or causes that may lead one to that final resolution. Her poetic reflections and deep discussions including current research on understanding suicide converge to illustrate why and When Love is Not Enough.

Understanding the Pain of Suicide Loss: “When Someone is Too Bruised to Be Touched”

Understanding the Pain of Suicide Loss offers a compassionate view of the profound pain that suicide loss brings to individuals and families. The article features Father Ronald Rolheiser’s piece, “Suicide–When Someone is Too Bruised to Be Touched,” which explores the complexities of grief and the struggles faced by those left behind. Rolheiser, with over forty years of experience, has been a guiding voice for many seeking solace. Through his reflections and anecdotes, Rolheiser not only aids those grieving but also fosters greater awareness of mental health struggles, encouraging dialogue to break the stigma surrounding these issues.

Understanding Suicide: It’s Not a Choice

Understanding Suicide: It’s Not a Choice affirms with well-documented research that suicide is not a choice, but a tragic outcome of intense emotional pain and distorted judgment. The stigma surrounding suicide persists, hindering understanding and perpetuating the misconception that it is a selfish act. Suicide epidemiologists emphasize that suicide is not a decision, but a desperate attempt to escape unbearable suffering, often exacerbated by limited resources and support.

Coping with Guilt After Losing a Child to Suicide

Coping with Guilt After Losing a Child to Suicide is a compassionate exploration of the overwhelming emotions parents face after losing a child to suicide. This deeply moving post offers valuable support, meaningful quotes that resonate with the grieving process, and essential resources that can help guide parents on their healing journey. It emphasizes the importance of finding a supportive community and engaging in self-care practices to navigate the complex feelings of guilt and sorrow that often accompany such a devastating loss.

Professional Resources

Online Directory for Coping with Grief, Trauma, and Distress

After A Suicide Resource Directory: Coping with Grief, Trauma, and Distress
http://www.personalgriefcoach.net
This online directory links people who are grieving after a suicide death to resources and information.

Alliance of Hope for Suicide Survivors
http://www.allianceofhope.org
This organization for survivors of suicide loss provides information sheets, a blog, and a community forum through which survivors can share with each other.

Friends for Survival
http://www.friendsforsurvival.org
This organization is for suicide loss survivors and professionals who work with them. It produces a monthly newsletter and runs the Suicide Loss Helpline (1-800-646-7322). It also published Pathways to Purpose and Hope, a guide to building a community-based suicide survivor support program.

HEARTBEAT: Grief Support Following Suicide
http://heartbeatsurvivorsaftersuicide.org
This organization has chapters providing support groups for survivors of suicide loss in Colorado and some other states. Its website provides information sheets for survivors and a leader’s guide on how to start a new chapter of HEARTBEAT.

---

Resources and Support Groups

Parents of Suicides and Friends & Families of Suicides (POS-FFOS)
http://www.pos-ffos.com
This website provides a public message board called Suicide Grief Support Forum, a listserv for parents, a separate listserv for others, and an online chat room for survivors of suicide loss.

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
https://www.taps.org/suicide
This organization provides resources and programs for people grieving the loss of a loved one who died while serving in the U.S. armed forces or as a result of their service. It has special resources and programs for suicide loss survivors.

United Survivors
https://unitesurvivors.org/
This organization is a place where people who have experienced suicide loss, suicide attempts, and suicidal thoughts and feelings, and their friends and families, can connect to use their lived experience to advocate for policy, systems, and cultural change.

Professional Organizations

American Association of Suicidology
suicidology.org • (202) 237-2280
Promotes public awareness, education and training for professionals, and sponsors an annual Healing After Suicide conference for suicide loss survivors. In addition to the conference, they offer a coping with suicide grief handbook by Jeffrey Jackson. This booklet is also available in Spanish.

The Compassionate Friends
compassionatefriends.org • (877) 969-0010
Offers resources for families after the death of a child. They sponsor support groups, newsletters and online support groups throughout the country, as well as an annual national conference for bereaved families.

The Dougy Center
The National Center for Grieving Children & Families
dougy.org • (503) 775-5683
Publishes extensive resources for helping children and teens who are grieving a death including death by suicide. Resources include the “Children, Teens and Suicide Loss” booklet created in partnership with AFSP. This booklet is also available in Spanish.

Link’s National Resource Center for Suicide Prevention and Aftercare
thelink.org/nrc-for-suicide-prevention-aftercar • 404-256-2919
Dedicated to reaching out to those whose lives have been impacted by suicide and connecting them to available resources.

Tragedy Assistance Programs for Survivors (TAPS)
taps.org/suicide • (800) 959-TAPS (8277)
Provides comfort, care and resources to all those grieving the death of a military loved one through a national peer support network and connection to grief resources, all at no cost to surviving families and loved ones.

LOSS
losscs.org
Offers support groups, remembrance events, companioning, suicide postvention and prevention education, and training to other communities interested in developing or enhancing their suicide postvention and prevention efforts.

Online resources

Alliance of Hope
allianceofhope.org
Provides a 24/7 online forum for suicide loss survivors.

Help Guide
helpguide.org
Provides resources and tips for how to navigate the loss of someone to suicide.

Parents of Suicides (POS) – Friends and Families of Suicides (FFOS)
pos-ffos.com
An internet community to connect parents, friends, and family that have lost someone to suicide.

SAVE: Suicide Awareness Voices of Education
save.org/programs/suicide-loss-support • (952) 946-7998
Hosts resources for suicide loss survivor including a support group database, newsletter, survivor conference and the Named Memorial Program, which offers a special way to honor your loved one.

Siblings Survivors of Suicide Loss
siblingsurvivors.com
Provides resources and a platform to connect with others that have lost a sibling to suicide.

Finding professional care and support

Find a mental health provider

• afsp.org/FindAMentalHealthProfessional
• findtreatment.samhsa.gov
• mentalhealthamerica.net/finding-help
• inclusivetherapists.com
• afsp.org/suicide-bereavement-trained-clinicians

Find a provider for prolonged grief

• prolongedgrief.columbia.edu

Find additional resources for marginalized communities

• afsp.org/mental-health-resources-for-marginalized-communities

Crisis Services

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
988lifeline.org
Call or text 988 (press 1 for Veterans, 2 for Spanish, 3 for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults) or chat 988lifeline.org
A 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. You will be routed to the closest possible crisis center in your area. With crisis centers across the country, their mission is to provide immediate assistance to anyone seeking mental health services. Call for yourself, or someone you care about. Your call is free and confidential.

Crisis Text Line
crisistextline.org
Text TALK to 741-741 for English
Text AYUDA to 741-741 for Spanish
Provides free, text-based mental health support and crisis intervention by empowering a community of trained volunteers to support people in their moments of need, 24/7.

Support Groups

• Alliance for Hope for suicide loss survivors – https://forum.allianceofhope.org/forums/-/list
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – https://afsp.org/find-a-support-group
• American Society of Suicidology – https://suicidology.org/resources/suicide-loss-survivors/
• British Columbia Bereavement Helpline, Suicide Grief Support – https://bcbh.ca/grief-support/suicide-grief-support/
• Coalition of Clinician-Survivors – https://www.cliniciansurvivor.org/# 
• Community Support After Suicide (Peachtree Comprehensive Health) – https://www.pchprofessionals.com/community-support-after-suicide  
• Compassionate Friends Loss to Suicide group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/tcflosstosuicide
• Emotions Matter Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Loss Group – https://emotionsmatterbpd.org/bpd-loss-group (note that not all losses are suicide, though many are. All losses have a connection to BPD.)
• Friends and Families of Suicide (FFOS) – https://www.pos-ffos.com/groups/ffos.htm
• Friends for Survival – https://friendsforsurvival.org/
• Heartbeat: Grief Support Following Suicide – https://www.heartbeatsurvivorsaftersuicide.org/services
• Helping Parents Heal: Special Interest Group -Moving Forward After Suicide – https://www.helpingparentsheal.org/affiliate-groups/special-interest-groups/ (note that Helping Parents Heal “goes a step beyond other groups by allowing the open discussion of spiritual experiences and afterlife evidence—in a non-dogmatic way.  HPH affiliate groups welcome everyone regardless of religious or non-religious background and encourage open dialog.”)
• Long Island Survivors of Suicide – https://lisos.org/ 
• The Lounge – https://www.workingonmygrief.com/about-4 
• Parents of Suicide (POS) – https://www.pos-ffos.com/groups/pos.htm
• Sail to Heal – https://www.sail2heal.org/ 
• Smile through the Storms – https://www.smilethroughthestorms.com/ 
• Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE) – https://save.org/save-support-groups/
• Working on My Grief  – https://www.workingonmygrief.com/ 

---

Books for Understanding Suicide And Mental Health

An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness
Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D., Alfred A. Knopf, 1995. In this memoir, an international authority on Manic Depression (Bipolar Disorder describes her own struggle since adolescence with the disorder, and how it has shaped her life.

Darkness Visible
William Styron, Random House, 1990. A powerful and moving first-hand account of what depression feels like to the sufferer.

Devastating Losses: How Parents Cope with the Death of a Child to Suicide or Drugs
William Feigelman, Ph.D., John Jordan, Ph.D., John McIntosh, Ph.D., Beverly Feigelman, LCSW, Springer Publishing, 2012. This book provides useful avenues for future research on suicide loss and offers new insights into the grief process that follows the death of a child, both in the short term and years after a loss.  Please note that, given its academic tone, the book is better suited to clinicians and educators than to recently bereaved lay readers.

Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide
Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D., Alfred A. Knopf, 1999. Kay Redfield Jamison’s in-depth psychological and scientific exploration of suicide traces the network of reasons underlying suicide, including the factors that interact to cause suicide, and outlines the evolving treatments available through modern medicine.

The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression
Andrew Solomon, Scribner, 2001.Winner of the National Book Award, this book shares the author’s story of chronic depression, and places depression in a broader social context.

Why People Die by Suicide
Thomas Joiner, Ph.D., Harvard University Press, 2005.
Drawing on extensive clinical and epidemiological evidence, as well as personal experience, the author, who lost his father to suicide, identifies three factors that mark those most at risk of considering, attempting, or dying by suicide.

---

Recommended Reading

Book Recommendation: ‘A Handbook for Coping with Suicide Grief’ by Jeffrey Jackson, providing support for survivors of suicide loss, My Forever Son

---

Books

• Beal, Karyl Chastain (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018). Faces of Suicide, Volumes One to Five.
• Brown, Beth (2023) Bury My Heart: 19 Poems for Grief and Healing After Losing a Child to Suicide
• Cacciatore, Joanne (2017). Bearing the Unbearable. Wisdom Publications.
• Clark, Ann (2020). Gone to Suicide. A mom’s truth on heartbreak, transformation and prevention. Iuniverse.
• Collins, Eileen Vorbach (2023). Love in the Archives. a patchwork of true stories about suicide loss. Apprentice House Press.
• Cross, Tracey (2013). Suicide among gifted children and adolescents. Understanding the suicidal mind. Prufrock Press.
• Dougy Center, The (2001). After a Suicide: An Activity Book for Grieving Kids. Dougy Center.
• Estes, Clarissa Pinkola (1988). The Faithful Gardener. HarperCollinsSanFrancisco.
• Fine, Carla (1997). No Time to Say Goodbye. Surviving the suicide of a loved one. Broadway Books.
• Heilmann, Lena M.Q. (2019). Still with Us. Voices of Sibling Suicide Loss Survivors. BDI Publishers.
• Hickman, Martha Whitmore (1994). Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations For Working Through Grief. William Morrow Paperbacks
• Jamison, Kay Redfield (2000). Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide. Vintage.
• Johnson, Julie Tallard (1994). Hidden Victims, Hidden Healers. An eight-stage healing process for families and friends of the mentally ill. Pema Publications.
• Joiner, Thomas (2005). Why People Die by Suicide. Harvard University Press
• Joiner, Thomas (2010). Myths About Suicide. Harvard University Press.
• Kushner, Harold S. (2004). When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Anchor Books
• O’Connor, Mary-Francis (2022). The Grieving Brain. HarperOne.
• Rasmussen, Christina (2019). Second Firsts. Hay House Inc.
• Shapiro, Larry (2020). Brain Pain. Giving insight to children who have lost a family member or a loved one to suicide. Safe Haven Books.
• Wickersham, Julie (2009). The Suicide Index: Putting My Father’s Death in Order. Mariner Books.

Memorial Sites

• Faces of Suicide – memorial site for those who died by suicide –  https://www.facesofsuicide.com/
• Suicide Memorial Wall – tribute site for those who died by suicide – https://www.suicidememorialwall.com/

---

---