For Survivors of Suicide Loss
After Suicide Loss: Coping with Your Loss
Published in 2016, this is the second edition of this highly popular book. It has been expanded from 67 to 156 pages which includes a chapter on helping children cope with a suicide loss. Readers have described this book as:...a practical guide for coping with suicide, from the first few days through the first year and beyond. Another reader stated: I encourage anyone who has experienced the pain of suicide, even if it was many years ago, to read this book, share this book, and then read it again. (Written by Jack Jordan, Ph.D. (Author, Editor) and Bob Baugher; information provided by Amazon.com)
After a Suicide: A Practical and Personal Guide for Survivors
This booklet begins with information about the practical logistics immediately following a suicide, including details about a possible autopsy, cleaning of the home if the suicide occurred there, organ donation – and more. The second part of this booklet addresses the emotional aftermath of suicide bereavement, including common reactions to the suicide of a loved one, as well as the process of grieving. (Sponsored by the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention.)
Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors
This site contains abundant information about the experience of losing a loved one to suicide. It includes a blog, recommended books, memorials for people who died by suicide and a community forum. The site states, “In our forum, survivors can contact others with similar losses, share their stories and discuss the many facets of healing from loss by suicide. It operates like a 24/7 support group, with a team of trained moderators and a mental health clinician who contributes regularly."
This blog for survivors of suicide loss is authored by Franklin Cook. His father died by suicide almost 30 years ago, and since then he has served as a voice for suicide loss survivors in numerous national roles. A highlight of his blog is the Survivor Outlook section, which features first-person accounts of other suicide loss survivors. The Grief After Suicide blog also contains numerous other resources, including lists of suicide loss survivor websites, support groups, online discussion forums and chat rooms.
SOLOS: Spouse-Partner Loss Group
This Facebook group describes itself as “a suicide grief support group for spouses-partners who have been through loss of a husband/wife, fiance, boyfriend/girlfriend, or life partner to suicide.” (SOLOS stands for Survivors of Loved Ones to Suicide.)
SOS: A Handbook for Survivors of Suicide
Written by a man whose wife died by suicide, the guide includes information on the “emotional rollercoaster” that follows a suicide, myths and facts about suicide, suggestions for coping, narratives from other survivors, and inspirational words for surviving, coping and healing after the loss of a loved one to suicide. (Sponsored by the American Association of Suicidology.)
This Facebook page is geared toward everyone affected in some form or other by suicide or mental illness. Yet the people who seem to follow it most closely are those who have lost a loved one to suicide. Because of the page’s popularity, you can comment on a post or photo and usually watch the discussion grow in just minutes. As of March 2017, more than 150,000 people were following the page.
Lists of Support Groups for Suicide Loss Survivors
This site, sponsored by the American Association for Suicidology, and this site, sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, both provide directories for support groups nationwide for people who have lost a loved one to suicide. Some support groups are led by mental health professionals, while others are led by peer facilitators.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention trains people who have survived a suicide loss to reach out to others newly bereaved by suicide. The volunteers will visit new survivors and offer peer support at the survivor’s request. Click here to request an in-person or remote visit.