Grief After Suicide

Grief After Suicide

• Know that you can survive. Though you may feel you cannot survive, you can.
• The intense feelings of grief can be overwhelming and frightening. This is normal. you are not going crazy; you are grieving.
• You may experience feelings of guilt, confusion, anger, even fear. These are all common responses to grief.
• You may even have thoughts of suicide. This too is common. It does not mean that you will act on these thoughts.
• Forgetfulness is a common, but temporary side effect. Grieving takes so much energy that other things will fade in importance.
• Keep asking "why" until you no longer need to ask.
• Healing takes time. Allow yourself the time you need to grieve.
• Grief has no predictable pattern or time line. Though there are elements of commonality in grief, each person and each situation is unique.
• If you can delay making major decisions, do so.
• The path of grief is one of twists and turns and you may often feel you are getting nowhere. Remember that even setbacks are a kind of progress.
• This is the hardest thing you will ever do. Be patient with yourself.
• Seek out people who are willing to listen when you need to talk and who understand when you need to be silent.
• Avoid people who try and tell you what to feel and how to feel it and, in particular, those who think you should "be over it by now".
• Give yourself permission to seek professional help.
• Find a support group for survivors that provides a safe place for you to express your feelings or simply a place to go to be with other survivors who are experiencing some of then same things you are going through.

For information on grief support groups for suicide survivors, call Suicide Awareness\Voices of Education (SA\VE) at 612-946-7998.