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.
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.
When you lose a loved one to suicide, you can feel completely lost in your pain and grief. You may feel you are completely alone with no roadmap to guide you out of your pain. If you remain open, the guide will appear and the words you need to get you through that next moment, that next day show up when you need them most.
We have all heard the instructions of an airline attendant reminding us to put on our own oxygen mask before we help anyone else with theirs. The advice is often cited as a metaphor for self-care because it so accurately expresses why it is important. It seems to say, ironically, that if you can’t take… Continue reading Self-Care Makes us Stronger
Guilt is the one negative emotion that seems to be universal to all survivors of suicide, and overcoming it is perhaps our greatest obstacle on the path to healing. Guilt is your worst enemy because it is a false accusation. You are not responsible for your loved one’s suicide in any way, shape, or form.… Continue reading Survivor’s Guilt
The Gift of Someone Who Listens By Nancy Myerholts: From Compassionate Friends, Cape Cod