Grieving

When a loved one has died by suicide:
You may be overwhelmed by different emotions, some of them all at one time: denial, shock, confusion, guilt, anger and PAIN – this is very normal. It is important to know that you can SURVIVE the pain. There may be times when you don’t think that you can, but it is possible.

SOME COMMON THINGS YOU MAY BE STRUGGLING WITH:

• Continuing to ask WHY.
• Pain
• Feeling numb – thinking that nothing else could ever hurt you.
• Not being able to remember things, such as what time or day it is.
• Not being able to concentrate.
• Feeling sometimes that this is not real; it didn’t really happen.
• Thinking you are going crazy because of what you are thinking or feeling.
• Your mind won’t shut off sometimes. It seems to race all over the place and settle nowhere.
• Feelings of panic – wanting to run away. You don’t know where – you just want to run, to give up, to escape what has happened.
• Feeling guilty when you catch yourself laughing or smiling at something.
• Fearing you can’t go on living in this pain.

Some feelings you may be experiencing:

• emptiness
• depression
  
• guilt
• abandonment
  
• anger
• helplessness
  
• despair
• disorientation
  
• isolation
• relief
  
• shame
• disbelief
  

These are normal but uncomfortable feelings. It is helpful when you can share them with others who understand.