What It Means To Be Bereaved By Suicide

While every suicide survivor’s experience is unique there are some shared elements that are common to all those who lose a loved one through suicide. These include:

• Intense shock and grief at the suddenness and nature of the loss
• Searching for answers
• Questioning about how to communicate the loss to others
• Self-doubt, blaming, anger, frustration and guilt

Recovery for someone bereaved by suicide is not a passive activity. It requires work and it requires courage.

Survivors are also saviours. Through the sharing of experiences, survivors can help:

• By letting others bereaved by suicide know they are not alone giving them hope of recovery
• By sharing with caregivers what they find to be helpful in the recovery process
• By breaking the silence and making us all more aware of suicide issues