Offering hope, comfort and support for survivors of suicide loss.
When I first read this quote, I questioned if it was appropriate for motivational Monday. It seemed a little sad and somewhat depressing. So, are you saying the pain never ends? Then I sat down to think about it, and here I am posting it on our site today. I think one of the problems with grieving is the expectations we set for it. We expect to get it over it. We expect to forget. What happens when we don't meet our own expectations? We ...
Grief following the loss of a loved one by suicide is exhausting. I don't think you can truly explain to another person how difficult it is. It is something you have to experience for yourself. You are stuck in two worlds; one, where you are forced to pretend everything is ok, and the other where you allow yourself to completely fall apart. Often we spend our days pretending to have it all together. This is usually accompanied by comments ...
We often hear from others that we are in "denial" in the weeks/months following a loss by suicide. I don't necessarily think we are in denial, instead I think we are just distracted. There are so many distractions after a death. Freezers are filled, phones never stop ringing. Slowly, week by week the meals stop coming, the phone stops ringing, and people begin to move on. When the distractions end, reality usually sets in. It can be ...
When I first read this quote it gave me goosebumps. I couldn't actually decide if I loved it or hated it. After thinking about it for a little while I realized why I loved it; it explains everything I feel about suicide. When someone dies by suicide we often question if we truly knew the person we lost. Very similar to the quote comparing life to "a beautiful lie." When the person dies in such a tragic manner, the life they lived just ...
I often write about this notion that grief has a clear beginning and a clear ending. My desire to continue to write about this is driven by the consistent comments I get from other survivors about feeling like they are "not normal" for not moving forward at the pace that their inner circle deems appropriate. My advice? Stop talking to the people that make you feel like you should be further than you are. The energy you waste trying to explain ...
