Surviving After a Suicide Loss
A suicide loss support group in Naples, Florida
During our group meetings, members often express that they can't tell if they are progressing in their grief process or just going in circles. While progress in anything in life is rarely obvious or dramatic, if you are doing the work, you are making progress. At times as supportive as attending our support group can… Continue reading The Grief Process: How do we Know if we are Progressing?
My Unexpected Journey: Reflections after Losing My Son to Suicide, Written by fellow survivor and our group member Erin Blechman, My Unexpected Journey is a collection of reflections written following the death of the author's son, Max, to suicide in June 2020.
H IS FOR HONORING by Therese Gump To be able to honor a person’s memory is a great consolation when they are no longer around. How do we come to terms with honoring the memory of the person we loved who has died by suicide? We do not wish to honor the act, and yet… Continue reading H is for Honoring
We all have hopes and dreams of what we have wanted to accomplish in life, yet most of the time your life is not quite the picture you painted for yourself. Missing out on life and opportunities can create personal discontent, depression and often isolation. The list of things you haven't done can be compelling and overwhelm you.
Then you might realize something: You are not that person anymore, and in another second, you will again be someone new. Letting go of the weight of past regrets gives you a better chance of becoming who you want to be today.
Are you feeling guilty about something? Maybe you’re feeling guilty because you failed to live up to your personal expectations. Maybe it’s because you failed to live up to other people’s expectations of you. Maybe you did something hurtful to someone else, or maybe you embarrassed someone or wronged others in some way. Or maybe it’s all about you. You are feeling guilty because you didn’t keep a promise you made to yourself.
No matter how you look at it, guilt is never a pleasant emotion and often has some dire consequences. However, it is an emotion you can work through successfully and even progressively eradicate from your life over time.
Jan. 26, 2022, 12:38 PM EST / Source: TODAY By A. Pawlowski After a loved one passed away, I kept being haunted by the feeling that I didn’t know where he was. It gnawed at me. Ever since I could remember, I knew where to reach him, whether at home, at work, on a business… Continue reading The grieving brain: How your mind deals with a loved one’s death
What your loved one wants you to know...
"First off, I get it.
Ever since I left this world you have missed me, and I know you’re bracing for the holidays without me. No matter what anyone says, this year’s festivities are going to be really tough.
The following is a list of appropriate expectations that you can have in grief. Evaluate yourself on each one and see if you are maintaining realistic expectations for yourself. You can expect that: Your grief will take longer than most people think.Your grief will take more energy than you would have ever imagined.Your grief will… Continue reading Appropriate Expectations You Can Have for Yourself in Grief
by Carol Clum, Medford, OR I stand beneath a sky of blue, the August sun warming my back. Apple perfume is in the air, and my grandchildren cannot resist plucking the golden globes from my backyard tree. It is one of those "firsts" that children of 3 and 5 eagerly share with us older folks.… Continue reading Apple Trees and Memories
Excerpt from Grief Recovery We frequently cite the ancient proverb, “I was unhappy about having no shoes until I met the man who had no feet,” to introduce the dangerous issue of comparison as it relates to grief. Using the proverb as a guide, if you have 10 people in a room, and you start… Continue reading All Grief is Experienced at 100%