When grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide, it is common to feel isolated, with nowhere to turn to for comfort. This is partly due to the stigma associated with self-inflicted death. Another reason is the nature of the loss itself.

Coming to terms with the fact that a loved one "chose" to end their life leaves the individual feeling lost and alone in their experience, because suicide is not an issue that people tend to easily talk about. If no one brings it up, then how can those left behind share their pain?

 

One of the ways is by participating in a community that will respect and understand the uniqueness of what you are going through. This can be done by reading books, connecting with online forums, calling hotlines, or joining a support group. Below, you can find a list of options to help you on this healing path.

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Online support material

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1. Help & Hope: a guide for survivors of suicide loss - Created by STOP Suicide Northeast Indiana.

2. SOS: A handbook for survivors of suicide, by Jeffrey Jackson.

3. Suicide Prevention Resources for Survivors of Suicide Loss - a list by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, SPRS.

4. Handling special occasions, by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

5. Weathering Grief and Loss (video by the Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center)

 

Memoirs (books)

For a more comprehensive list of books, click on the Resources Page. The links below lead to my Amazon affiliate program, so if you buy through these links, I get a small percentage of the purchase at no extra cost to you. The money will be used to maintain all the expenses related to this website, my podcast, and my YouTube channel. All the work I do on these is voluntary, so I appreciate your support. Another way to contribute is by making a donation (the button is on the top right corner of this website).

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• Darkness visible: a memoir of madness - William Styron​

• Night falls fast: understanding suicide - Kay Redfield Jamison

• An unquiet mind: a memoir of moods and madness - Kay Redfield Jamison

• The noonday demon: an atlas of depression - Andrew Solomon

• No time to say goodbye: Surviving the suicide of a loved one  - Carla Fine

• A grief observed - C.S. Lewis

• After Suicide Loss: Coping with Your Grief - Dr. Jack Jordan

• Grief After Suicide: Understanding the Consequences and Caring for the Survivors - Dr. Jack Jordan and John McIntosh

• Grieving a suicide: A loved one's search for comfort, answers, and hope - Albert H. Hsu

• Dying to be free: A healing guide for families after a suicide - Beverly Cobain and Jean Larch

• No one cares about crazy people - Ron Powers

• Notes for the everlost: A field guide to grief - Kate Inglis

• Out came the sun: Overcoming the legacy of mental illness, addiction, and suicide in my family - Mariel Hemmingway and Ben Greenman

• A new mourning: Discovering the gifts in grief - Georgina Eggleston

• Aftermath: Picking Up the Pieces After a Suicide - Gary Roe

• A matter of death and life - Irvin Yalom

• It's OK that you're not ok: Meeting grief and loss in a culture that doesn't understand - Megan Devine

• Shattered: From Grief to Joy After My Son's Suicide - Rebecca Tervo

• Grief works: stories of life, death and surviving - Julia Samuel

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External Book Lists

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1. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

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Find a support group

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1. Join my monthly online Suicide Loss Support Group.

2. International Association for Suicide Prevention - It helps find groups, crisis centers, online forums, and hotlines all over the world.

3. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - This site covers the US, Brazil, Hong Kong, Canada, India, Nepal, and Australia.

4. Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, SAVE (US).

5. American Association of Suicidology.

6. Lifeline Australia - Resources, chat and phone number.

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