Coping with Holiday Grief: A Guide for Parents

Coping with Holiday Grief: A Guide for Parents

Summary

The article “Coping with Holiday Grief: A Guide for Parents” provides support for parents grieving a child lost to suicide during the holidays, a time that can be especially painful for those in mourning. It emphasizes self-care, encouraging parents to prioritize their well-being while seeking supportive networks. It also highlights the need to adapt holiday rituals to accommodate complex emotions, suggesting open communication with loved ones and creating flexible plans for activities without pressure. Honoring memories creatively is encouraged through actions like lighting a candle, sharing stories, or establishing new traditions that celebrate their child’s life.

Introduction

The article “Coping with Holiday Grief: A Guide for Parents” offers invaluable support for parents who are mourning the heartbreaking loss of a child to suicide during the holiday season, a time often filled with joyful memories that can intensify the pain of absence. It emphasizes the need for self-care, acknowledging that amidst the chaos of festivities, parents must prioritize their own emotional and mental well-being. The guide explores the power of finding supportive connections, whether through friends, family, or support groups, illustrating how sharing grief can ease the burden of sorrow.

“Coping with Holiday Grief: A Guide for Parents” encourages the acceptance of evolving holiday traditions and urges families to create new rituals that honor their child’s memory while facilitating healing. It suggests open communication about feelings and needs, and staying flexible in plans to alleviate pressure. The guide emphasizes sharing memories, like storytelling or lighting a candle, and highlights self-compassion as a crucial step toward finding peace during the holidays.

Related Reads

• Navigating Holiday Grief: Support and Strategies
• Coping with Holiday Grief After Suicide Loss
• The Pain of Losing a Child: Holidays Bring Reflection
• Coping with Holiday Grief: Self-Care Tips to Navigate the Season
• Coping with Holiday Grief: Navigating Loss After a Child’s Suicide

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My Forever Son

Table of Contents

Finding Grief Support When Your World Has Been Shattered

Peace on Earth Seemed a Lost Cause: My First Holiday Season Without My Son

It’s hard to find “peace on earth” and sing “joy to the world” when you’ve lost your child to suicide. My first holiday grief season fell six months to the day that my son had died by suicide– June 25th, 2012. I didn’t want to be a part of anything save my heartbreak for my child.

I didn’t want to be a part of anything save my heartbreak for my child.

Sheer grit is how I made it through my first holiday season without my son. I’m not sure I even stopped crying long enough to participate in what my friends and family had planned. Our holiday gift exchange, girls’ night out with my best friends, a family dinner with my parents, decorating a tree, baking cookies—

I couldn’t bring myself to do any of these.

Once upon a lifetime ago, I loved the holidays. School break meant relaxing, baking cookies (Snickerdoodles, Gingerbread Cookies, cookies in the shape of candy canes, the list was endless) with Dylan, happy times. I found joy in his joy. And I found happiness and love in belonging to my community. Nothing yet had set me apart.

But losing a child to suicide did set me apart.

People around me who cared and knew my circumstances tried to be supportive, encouraging me to get out, join them, go see a holiday movie, listen to holiday music, find a respite from my relentless grief.

My world was dark and hopeless, and their world glittered with twinkling lights brightly colored.

My world was dark and hopeless, and their world glittered with twinkling lights brightly colored. I needed their support and kindness to light my world until I could find my way.

My world was dark and hopeless, and their world glittered with twinkling lights brightly colored. I needed their support and kindness to light my world until I could find my way.

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Finding an Online Grief Support Group for Parents Who Lost a Child to Suicide

Healing Through Grief: My Journey with Parents of Suicides

I found this online support group of parents who lost a child to suicide early in my grief. I can’t imagine having made it through the toughest parts of my grief without this group of supportive parents. They have provided a safe space for sharing experiences, feelings, and coping strategies, which has been invaluable during such a trying time.

The importance of connecting with others who have faced similar losses cannot be overstated. In this group, I have met compassionate individuals who truly understand the depth of the pain. We share not only our heartbreak but also moments of hope and healing. Talking with those who have experienced similar tragedies allows us to feel less isolated, knowing we are not alone on this difficult journey.

I’ve provided information about Parents of Suicides online international group below, including how to apply to join the free support group:

• Group Name: Parents of Suicides
• Website: Parents of Suicides
• How to Join: You can apply for membership by filling out a simple form on their website. They provide guidelines to maintain a supportive and respectful environment for all members. After your application is reviewed, you will receive details about upcoming meetings and resources.

This group not only offers comfort but also practical support, sharing resources such as books, articles, and coping mechanisms that have helped others navigate their grief. Joining this group has been one of the most positive steps I have taken in my healing process, and I highly recommend it to any parent enduring this unimaginable loss.

Navigating Holiday Grief: Support for Those Who Have Experienced Suicide Loss

We stumbled through that first holiday season with a mix of tears and profound grief. That winter, our life shut down. We didn’t take control of those first holidays.

Instead, we went through the motions as other people wanted us to. We went to Thanksgiving dinner at a relative’s house, put false smiles on our faces, and tried to pretend we were thankful – but our son was missing. No one said his name to us at first. We felt alone in a room filled with people who loved us. They were just clueless and struggling too.

We put up the Christmas tree and cried as we held the handmade ornaments our son had made over the years. What had been a cute addition in years past was now a painful reminder of his absence. 

…With holidays just around the corner, it is time to think about what you want to do this year. When you lose a loved one to suicide, it is impossible to celebrate as you have in the past and expect things to be the same.

You are missing someone, and that is the elephant in the room. Some family and friends will want to discuss the person who is missing from the gathering, and others will avoid mentioning their name. You may not have the strength to participate in formal events. It comes down to doing what works for you. It is hard to feel happy, merry, or thankful right after you lose a loved one to suicide. The sadness and pain can be overwhelming.

Jack Klingert, “Dealing with the Holidays after a Suicide Loss,” November 1, 2021. Originally posted on the Survivors of Suicide Loss, Madison, NJ Website and reprinted with permission. 

Compassionate Tips and Strategies for Coping with Holiday Grief

“Suicide Loss and the Holidays,” an insightful article by Noam Schneck, Ph.D., delves deeply into the concept of “unconscious grieving,” a process that often goes unnoticed but can significantly impact how we navigate the holiday season. This article empowers readers to approach the holidays in a more self-caring and accepting way, acknowledging that grief can manifest in various forms during this emotionally charged time.

Articles such as this one, which provide practical coping strategies and grief tips, have been instrumental in my grief journey as I move through the complexities of the holidays. By implementing the insights shared, I have found a greater sense of understanding and resilience, allowing me to honor my feelings while also finding moments of solace amidst the sorrow. The importance of such resources cannot be overstated, as they offer not only comfort but also a sense of community for those of us coping with loss during a season that often emphasizes togetherness.

Read on for grief tips and strategies to cope with holiday grief:

Finding Comfort During Holiday Grief: Reflections from a Suicide Researcher and Grief Clinician

“Suicide Loss and the Holidays: Tips From a Suicide Researcher and Grief Clinician“

In the aftermath of a suicide loss, the holiday season can often go from being a time of joy to a time when the loss and its repercussions are felt more keenly, whether the loss is recent or something you’ve experienced longer ago. That feeling of what the holidays would, could or should be like, can be very painful for many suicide loss survivors. Even for those who have received support and generally gotten back to regular life, the holidays can sometimes have a way of bringing out old memories, to the point where it might feel like Day One of grieving all over again.

As a psychologist who works with suicide loss survivors in both my private practice and research studies, I have focused on the idea of unconscious grief processes.

Unconscious grief processes refer to the way that the brain continues to subconsciously process and work on a suicide loss, even when the person is consciously thinking about something else. The existence of unconscious grieving allows people to adopt a more accepting attitude towards their grief and healing.

For instance, you might feel guilty that you’re not thinking of your lost loved one more, that you’re not feeling their loss as keenly as you might expect, or not getting back to things as quickly as you’d like to. Please know, even when you don’t realize it, your brain continues to do the hard work of processing your grief.

This concept can be particularly helpful during the holidays, which often bring in so many difficult expectations.

Here are a few ideas that might help you approach this time in a more self-caring and accepting way:

Expectations

Expectations. The loss of a loved one to suicide is a life-changing event. While healing is possible, and survivors of suicide loss can reclaim a full and vibrant life after loss, there is no fully going back to your exact pre-suicide reality.

Expectations about what holidays should be like, that are based in the pre-suicide reality, may simply not apply anymore. Holiday memories that once carried warmth and joy may, at the moment, feel painful and overwhelming. The feelings of family, connection, and contentedness that characterize this season may be inaccessible for you.

That does not mean your life can’t be fulfilling, meaningful and beautiful — but it might not be in the same way as before your loss. For some, it might mean the holiday season doesn’t feel like a time of joy (at least not this year), or not the same type of joy.

Forgiveness and the Spirit of the Holidays

Forgiveness and the spirit of the holidays. In modern times, joy, family, gift-giving and togetherness have arisen as the primary themes of the holiday season. However, most holidays are rooted in themes of forgiveness, thankfulness and salvation.

Forgiveness, in particular, is a very difficult concept for many suicide loss survivors. Some may feel they cannot forgive themselves for the things they feel guilty about. Others may feel anger toward the person they’ve lost and struggle with forgiving them. Forgiveness does not mean you have to let go of guilt you may feel, or emotions you hold toward the person you’ve lost. Forgiveness and guilt are not opposites: they go hand in hand.

You can feel guilty, and also forgive yourself, at the same time. You can also simultaneously hold contrasting emotions toward the person you’ve lost. Allowing the holidays to be a time of self- and other forgiveness may allow you to stay true to the holiday season while still validating your grief.

Caring for the Body and Healing

Caring for the Body and Healing. Healing is the body’s natural response to being wounded. From the minute we receive a wound, our body begins the process of healing. Healing also forms a nexus where our emotional and physical selves meet. Amazing studies have shown that healing from physical wounds can be impacted by love — such that people in more supportive, loving relationships may heal more quickly from physical wounds. Research also suggests that tending to our physical selves can heal our emotional wounds.

Just as love and attachment can help the body heal when it is wounded, caring for your physical self can aid the process of healing emotional wounds as we grieve. My suggestion for suicide loss survivors is to try caring for your body during the holiday season, through good sleep, healthy food, relaxation and exercise, and avoiding unhealthy things like alcohol and people who feel toxic; it may help boost your own healing from loss. 

The theme of self-acceptance underlies all of these suggestions. Relaxing one’s expectations, focusing on forgiveness, and caring for the body are all ways to accept yourself, wherever you are in your grieving. My own research findings, which identify unconscious processes of grief recovery, suggest that — just like learning to walk, eat or fall asleep — learning to grieve is a process that relies heavily on the unconscious mind. With this in mind, consider whether you can make this holiday season a time of self-acceptance, focused on granting yourself permission to be where you are right now, as you let your unconscious mind continue its work of grieving… and healing.

Support is available if you’ve lost someone to suicide. Learn more here.

Dr. Noam Schneck was the recipient of a Young Investigators Grant from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in 2014, and a Focus Grant in 2023. He currently runs a research lab within a suicide prevention center at Columbia University as well as a private practice focused on suicide loss survivors. His research and clinical work aim at understanding the role that the unconscious mind plays in grieving, and how to work with both conscious and unconscious grief processes to help bring suicide loss survivors to a place of healing.

Dr. Noam Schneck, Ph.D, “Suicide Loss and the Holidays: Tips From a Suicide Researcher and Grief Clinician,” American Foundation for Suicide Prevention,

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Surviving Grief at the Holidays With a Broken Heart

I Could Feel the Dread Even Before the Holidays Arrived

I could feel the dread even before the holidays arrived.

The wallop of sick weight in the pit of my stomach; the sheer panic in realizing the holidays were coming (and that I couldn’t stop them); and the exhaustion of grief where I felt I just couldn’t make it through any more pain.

The exhaustion of grief where I felt I just couldn’t make it through any more pain.

Early grief sent me whirling and frantic into a proverbial spiral. I felt helpless, hopeless, and too filled with despair to find a way to face the holidays without my son. Reading about how others handle grief during the holidays helped me find a way through then, and it still helps me now.

“How to Survive December With a Broken Heart”

This year, my reading included the article”How to Survive December With a Broken Heart” written by a mother who lost her son, a poignant piece that profoundly resonates with me. Her heartfelt reflections and honest insights into the process of grief during what is often considered a festive season truly impacted my perspective on loss.

The article delves into the various ways the author navigates her sorrow, transforming the painful memories into lessons of love and resilience. I’m sharing it in hopes that it might help you, too, especially if you’re facing similar struggles, as it highlights the importance of connection, understanding, and finding solace amid the chaos of emotions that December can bring.

“How To Survive December With a Broken Heart“

It comes up again and again-and not just for the parents facing their year of “firsts”:  How do I survive December with a broken heart?

Be Gentle with Yourself

Be gentle with yourself.  “Accept that you will not be able to do all the things you could do before child loss.  Understand that tears will fall at the most inconvenient moments and grief waves will take you under when you least expect them to.  That’s OK.  You do not have to be strong or brave or keep smiling when you are sad.  Feel what you feel.  Do what you need to do.

Be Honest with Others

Be honest with others.  No matter how wonderful it would be if they could truly understand what it feels like to bury a child (without the experience, of course!), it is not the way things ARE.  So if you need something from someone, speak up.  If you don’t want to go to this or that, say so.  If your heart can’t take one more family gathering or meal, send your regrets and stay home.  Use “I” statements and say something like, “I’m just not able to participate in gift-giving (or whatever) this year.  My heart won’t take it.”  They may not like it.  But they can’t argue with your experience.

Protect Your Heart

Do not let people cross the boundaries you set up to protect your heart.  Once you have figured out where you need to draw the line and have communicated that to others, hold fast.  It’s really just fine to not return phone calls or text messages designed to force you to meet others’ expectations.  You don’t have to be rude, but you also don’t have to submit your heart to constant trampling.

Melanie, The Life I Didn’t Choose

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Remember, the Holidays Will Pass

Be Open to Change

Be open to change. Do things differently. Choose not to celebrate as you always did. This might mean skipping traditions that have become too painful or altering gatherings to make them feel more comfortable and aligned with your current emotional state. Consider planning to get away—a short trip or a change of scenery can provide some much-needed respite from familiar triggers and associations.

Have a flexible exit plan: give yourself permission to say “No,” even if you’d previously committed to attend events or gatherings. The key is to prioritize your well-being and mental health during a time that might be overwhelmingly joyful for others but difficult for you.

Surviving Grief at the Holidays sometimes means being unpredictable; it’s okay to change your mind or revise your plans, as these decisions can be essential for your healing process.

Being kind to yourself also involves acknowledging that the holidays can feel like a rollercoaster of emotions. Allow space for both joy and sorrow in your experience. Reach out for support, whether through friends, family, or support groups, and remember that it’s perfectly normal to have mixed feelings about this time of year.

Remember that it’s perfectly normal to have mixed feelings about this time of year.

And finally? Remember that November and December don’t last forever. While these months can be particularly challenging as they bring up memories and feelings of loss, the new year will bring fresh opportunities and experiences. It’s important to keep perspective and focus on the possibilities that lie ahead while honoring your journey through grief during the holiday season.

These days are just like all the rest: in the end, we survive them one breath, one moment at a time, navigating through the challenges and triumphs that each day brings. Each sunrise presents a new canvas, filled with uncertainty and potential, but we forge ahead, drawing strength from the small victories and even the setbacks.

But we do survive; through the storms of doubt and the whispers of despair, we find the resilience within us that propels us toward another dawn. In early grief, all of my days were impossible, holidays included. Every day felt overwhelming, my entire life was flooded with my grief, and keeping on keeping on felt monumental.

With time, with grieving, with moving through a host of feelings and by joining support groups, I found small glimpses of hope and healing along the way. The ability to smile again, a way through the heaviness of my grief at the holidays, and the slow realization that joy can exist alongside sorrow became pivotal in my journey. There were moments when I would catch myself laughing or reminiscing about my son, and though those moments felt fragile, they served as reminders that love endures even amidst loss.

Each holiday season presents its unique challenges, yet I have learned to honor my son’s memory rather than allow grief to overshadow the festivities. Creating new traditions that incorporate his spirit became essential. Whether it’s lighting a candle in his name or sharing stories about him with family and friends, these small acts are my way of keeping him alive in our hearts. I started finding joy in giving back to others, believing that my son’s legacy could continue through acts of kindness and love towards those around me.

I live that my son might live too. This powerful notion drives me forward, motivating me to embrace life, to thrive, and to seek out happiness even on the hardest of days. Understanding that grief is not a linear path but a winding road filled with unexpected turns has helped me navigate my way. With support, patience, and self-compassion, my journey through grief continues—transforming sorrow into a legacy that honors Dylan’s memory while allowing me to forge a life filled with meaning and love.

Tips and Ideas to Help with the Holidays Ahead

Ideas for “Healing Your Holiday Grief”

Here are suggestions for healing your holiday grief by Alan Wolfert from his insightful article, “Healing Your Holiday Grief.” Wolfert, a renowned expert in the field of bereavement, has published multiple books and articles on the complex journey of suicide loss grief and healing. His extensive work provides valuable resources for those navigating such profound pain.

This particular article, “Healing Your Holiday Grief,” is focused especially on military families who have experienced the devastating loss of their loved one to suicide. Recognizing that the holidays can amplify feelings of sorrow and loneliness, Wolfert offers practical strategies and emotional guidance to help families honor their loved ones while finding moments of peace and solace amidst their grief. By sharing personal stories and coping techniques, he aims to create a sense of connection and support, reminding readers that they are not alone in their struggles during this poignant time of year.

Healing Your Holiday Grief

Be Compassionate with Yourself

Let your holiday grief be what it is. And let yourself — your new, grieving self — be who you are.

 Survive

If the death was very recent, you may be in survival mode this holiday season. If that’s true for you, it’s OK — the world will keep turning whether you participate in the holidays or not.

 Keep What Matters

You might consider simplifying your holiday rituals instead of abandoning them altogether. Keep the traditions that matter most to you and set the others aside, at least for now.

 Communicate Your Wishes

Muster the strength and courage to tell the people in your life what your wishes are for the holidays. If you’d like their company but prefer to gather somewhere different than you usually do, say so. If you’d rather skip some of the celebrations this year, tell them. If you’re feeling unsure about how to spend the holidays, tell them.

Attend a Remembrance Ceremony

Many hospitals, hospices, and funeral homes host remembrance ceremonies during the holidays. The act of joining together in our grief and ritualizing our mourning can be very healing. Especially early in their grief, many families say it was the most important thing they did during the holidays.

[Use] a Special Stocking

If your holiday traditions include [using] stockings, consider [using] a special stocking in memory of the person who died.

 Be a Secret Santa

You could probably use some “feeling good” this holiday season. Give yourself a dose of pleasure by giving to someone else.

 Prepare Favorite Holiday Foods of the Person Who Died

Special foods are an important part of the holiday traditions. Chances are your family prepares many of the same dishes each holiday, and everyone looks forward to those unique smells and flavors.

 If You’re Alone, Find Ways to Connect

If you’re alone this holiday season, you need to make an effort to connect with other human beings. Invite your neighbor to dinner. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or nursing home. Join a group at a place of worship.

 Make an Appointment with a Grief Counselor

Seeing a counselor or spiritual advisor for just a session or two over the holidays may help you cope better and focus more on what is important to you this year and what is not.

 Count Your Blessings

Think of all you have to be thankful for. This is not to deny the hurt, for the hurt needs to take precedence right now. But it may help to consider the things that make your life worth living, too.

Believe in a Better Next Year

Believe in a better next year. Believe in your capacity to heal and grow through grief. Believe in the enduring holiday spirit of giving and love.

Alan Wolfert, Healing Your Holiday Grief, TAPS, December 16, 2022. Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D., is the founder and director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition and a member of the TAPS Advisory Board. This article is excerpted from his book “Healing your Holiday Grief: 100 Practical Ideas for Blending Mourning and Celebration During the Holiday Season,” published by Companion Press and available at centerforloss.com. 

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Navigating the Holidays with Compassion After a Suicide Loss

Here are some helpful tips from Jack Klingert featured in his article “Dealing with the Holidays After a Suicide Loss” at the Alliance of Hope, which emphasize the importance of acknowledging grief while navigating the complexities of the holiday season. Klingert suggests creating new traditions that honor the memories of loved ones, engaging in supportive conversations with friends or family, and allowing yourself the space to experience a wide range of emotions during this difficult time.

Additionally, the author encourages finding solace in communal gatherings and memorial activities that allow for sharing stories and reflecting on cherished moments, helping to foster a sense of connection and understanding amidst the sorrow.

“Dealing with the Holidays After a Suicide Loss”

Talk among your immediate family about how you are all feeling and what you are up to.

Don’t let anyone push you to go to an event that you are not ready for. Not everyone has to attend. Do what you think will give you the most strength and energy. That may be different from what other people tell you or push you to do. Only you truly know what you are up to doing for these events. 

You don’t have to do the same activity as you have done in years past.

In fact, trying to do the same event without the missing person may only make things worse. You can do something different: have a Thanksgiving breakfast, just have desserts, have a coffee tasting, or go out to a restaurant. You can take out all your photos and leave them around for people to talk about, ask people to bring stories, videos, or photos of your loved one to share with the group. Or you can stay home and have a quiet day. For a few years, we shifted to just stopping in on family and friends for only coffee and dessert after the event was mostly over. That allowed us to see everyone, but not feel the pressure to stay the whole time. Folks just want to see how you are doing.

If you attend a gathering, it may help to have a “friend” in the room – someone with whom you can speak honestly.

Your trusted ally can help get you out of uncomfortable conversations.  They can be your “wingman” for the day, and provide any added strength and support you might need. 

Have a “Plan B” – just in case.

You may wake up and find you don’t have the strength to follow through with your original plans. That’s when you shift to “Plan B.” It is not a failure; it is just a different choice for the day. It might be something as simple as a walk in the park, stopping by a house of worship, or visiting someplace that gives you strength and happiness. People know you are grieving and will understand that you might need a change of plans for that day.

Avoid hosting the event at your home.

If you suddenly feel overwhelmed, it is hard to disappear if you need a quiet moment. Consider letting someone else host the event this year. You deserve a break.

Don’t hesitate to mention and acknowledge the person who is missing around the table.

There are many ways to do this. Some people go around the table and ask each person to tell a short, positive, or funny memory about the person who is missing. Some people make a remembrance jar that can be used at any family event. Some folks even set a place at the table for the missing person and place a picture or candle on their plate. Here is an article about doing a candle lighting ceremony. 

It all comes down to healing the way you need to and acknowledging that those around you are also healing.

One more important tip: avoid alcohol or other intoxicating substances during these events.

You need to stay sharp and manage your emotions, even though folks around you are having too much. There are always people in the crowd that will say the wrong thing and you want to be able to respond or walk away with a clear head. Alcohol can also lower your energy and just make your day worse. It is never a good idea to get lost in a drink when your emotions and grief are causing you pain. 

And last, remember it is only 24 hours.

Most survivors start thinking and worrying about the events long in advance. Be kind to yourself and know that you will wake up the next day and the sun will rise once again.

Alliance of Hope–Dealing with the Holidays After a Suicide Loss by Jack Klingert

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Resources for Grief Support

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

What to Say to Parents Who Lose a Child to Suicide

What to Say to Parents Who Lose a Child to Suicide provides compassionate insights for supporting grieving parents during their unimaginable loss. The author’s personal stories create an emotional connection, highlighting the raw pain of such tragedy. By incorporating expert quotes and external resources, the article enhances credibility and emphasizes the need to break the stigma surrounding suicide, encouraging open discussions. Additionally, the practical suggestions for supporting grieving parents serve as a gentle guide through a difficult time.

Surviving the Suicide of Your Child: Support, Resources, Hope

Surviving the Suicide of Your Child: Support, Resources, Hope is about surviving the suicide of a child, offering a comprehensive resource for parents dealing with the deeply challenging experience. Personal stories, resource recommendations, and support options make it a valuable source of comfort and guidance for those in need. Author Beth Brown shares her personal journey and lists various support groups, resources, books, and poems related to grief after suicide loss. The content is well-organized, informative, and offers valuable resources for those going through a similar experience. It creates a sense of community and understanding for those dealing with such a tragic loss.

Healing Through Poetry: Grieving a Child’s Loss to Suicide

Healing Through Poetry: Grieving a Child’s Loss to Suicide navigates the difficult path of healing after losing a child to suicide. Heartfelt poems and evocative visuals create a soothing experience, inviting readers to connect with the raw emotions within each verse. This combination enhances emotional connection, providing solace to those who have faced similar struggles and offering a safe space for reflection. Through heartfelt words and imagery, the post encourages the grieving to acknowledge their pain, embrace memories, and seek healing and hope amidst despair.

Carrying Ache and Love: Healing Longterm Grief After Suicide Loss

Carrying Ache and Love: Healing Longterm Grief After Suicide Loss shares the author’s deep sorrow and ache from losing her son to suicide, gently exploring the complexities of grief and the lasting love she holds for him. She expresses the intense pain and hopelessness of early grief, highlighting the profound need for support and understanding during such a challenging time. In her search for solace, she discovered the healing power of support groups and research, finding a compassionate community of bereaved parents who helped her navigate the difficult journey of grief.

The Magnolia Tree: A Symbol of Grief and Resilience

The Magnolia Tree: A Symbol of Grief and Resilience explores the profound grief following the loss of a child to suicide, beautifully illustrated through the photography of a Magnolia tree that symbolizes the cyclical nature of grief. The author reflects on cherished memories—echoes of joy—while also acknowledging the deep pain of loss, represented as shadows that linger. The Magnolia tree’s resilience through changing seasons serves as a poignant metaphor for the author’s personal journey toward hope and understanding.

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Healing Words: Download 3 Compassionate Poems for Grieving Parents

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

Coping with Guilt After Losing a Child to Suicide

Suicide is an out of the natural order of life death, a perpetual questioning of why they took their life, a constant review of what if? if only. . .and should have, could have, would have.

Beth Brown, Coping with Guilt After Losing a Child to Suicide, My Forever Son

Coping with Guilt After Losing a Child to Suicide is a poignant and compassionate exploration of the overwhelming emotions and hurdles parents face following the tragic loss of a child to suicide. This heartfelt post delves deep into the raw and complex journey, offering understanding, support, and guidance tailored specifically for grieving families. It features meaningful quotes from mental health professionals and fellow bereaved parents, relating to other relevant posts that discuss different aspects of loss and resilience.

Crucial resources for seeking professional help, including hotlines, support groups, and therapy options, are provided to foster emotional recovery. This article addresses unspoken feelings of guilt and isolation, validating parents’ pain while inspiring hope through shared stories and coping strategies. The post encourages dialogue around mental health and underscores the importance of community support in healing.

“That All of Love Could Sweep Time Back”: Poem on Guilt in Grief Poem

That All of Love Could Sweep Time Back”: Poem on Guilt in Grief Poem is a poignant poem exploring the guilt parents face after losing a child to suicide. It captures the emotional anguish of “What If?” and “Why Didn’t I See?” reflecting the deep sorrow of their grieving journey. Each line invites readers to experience the despair of such a loss while suggesting that love can illuminate dark moments. The poem provides insight into the author’s experience with loss, using vivid imagery to express the tidal wave of emotions that follow. The blend of poetry, personal anecdotes, and support resources amplifies the author’s voice and connects with the audience, encouraging exploration of their own feelings about loss.

Self-Blame and Guilt–I Couldn’t Save My Son

Self-Blame and Guilt—I Couldn’t Save My Son explores the heavy burden of self-blame and guilt many parents endure after losing a child to suicide. It addresses the struggle between cherishing memories and confronting harsh realities that feel insurmountable. Parents often grapple with guilt, wondering if they could have intervened or recognized their child’s distress. This journey through sorrow is intertwined with societal stigma and expectations about grieving. Finding healthy outlets for these feelings, like therapy or creative expression, can be healing.

Haunted by Guilt in Grief Poem: “Still from Sky I’m Falling”

Haunted by Guilt in Grief Poem: “Still from Sky I’m Falling” offers a personal exploration of grief and guilt after losing a child to suicide, a tragedy that affects many parents and caregivers. This collection includes the featured poem along with others that examine loss and healing, providing various perspectives on mourning. It also offers resources for support, guiding readers through their darkest moments while fostering community and understanding. The poem, “Still from Sky I’m Falling,” encapsulates the emotions of this journey, inviting readers to reflect on their own experiences of grief.

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Navigating Grief After Losing a Child to Suicide: Essential Resources

Navigating Grief After Losing a Child to Suicide: Essential Resources is a compassionate guide for parents devastated by the loss of a child to suicide. It addresses the complex emotions of grief and emphasizes the importance of self-care, professional help, and support groups. The resource also shares coping strategies like creative pursuits, finding peace in nature, and honoring your child’s memory.

What I have learned these past 12 years of grief and healing is that my love was not enough to save my son, to protect my son, to prevent his suicide. Love, no matter how strong the connection, cannot prevent death.

Beth Brown, Navigating Grief After Losing a Child to Suicide: Essential Resources, My Forever Son

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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.

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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/ 

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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.

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Recommended Reading

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

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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/