Dealing with Loss from Suicide: Strategies for Mourning and Healing
Healing from Suicide Grief: A Guide for Coping and Finding Comfort
Losing a loved one to suicide can be a deeply distressing and complex experience. It's important to remember that healing from suicide grief takes time and patience, and it's crucial to be kind to yourself during this difficult journey.
The American Psychological Association emphasizes the significance of openly sharing memories and emotions to aid in the grieving process. Talking about your loved one and grief helps process the reality of death, makes space for support, and provides emotional release. Sharing your feelings with trusted friends, family, therapists, or support groups can help reduce isolation and process the experience.
Expressing emotions safely is also essential. This can be achieved through various means such as crying, journaling, creative outlets, or even talking to pets. Allowing feelings to surface naturally without judgment is a crucial step in the healing process.
If grief feels overwhelming or prolonged, seeking professional help is highly recommended. Therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have been proven to be especially effective for complicated grief. Working with a therapist or grief counselor trained in suicide bereavement can help process complex emotions and teach healthy coping skills.
Grief counseling is accessible online for immediate help processing a loss due to suicide. There are numerous resources for coping with the loss of a loved one, including our website articles, written by mental health professionals and extensively reviewed by a team of clinical experts to ensure accuracy and adherence to industry standards.
Taking breaks from grief when needed can help find small moments of peace and contribute to healing. It's important to give yourself permission to feel anything and everything during suicide grief. Acknowledging and exploring difficult feelings such as guilt is a normal part of grief, and working towards self-forgiveness by examining thoughts and discussing them in supportive environments can be beneficial.
Research shows that losing someone to suicide can cause feelings of shame, blame, and judgment. However, it's essential to remember that healing occurs at your own pace, and there's no pressure to "move on." Allow yourself time to grieve without rushing the process.
Engaging in the dual process of grief is also beneficial. This involves alternating between confronting loss-oriented emotions and reengaging in restorative life activities to enable both grieving and growth. Finding meaning and honoring memories of the loved one can help integrate the loss and support emotional and physical healing.
Creating a ritual or tribute that honors the life of a loved one can provide comfort and a sense of connection, even after a loss. There's no right or wrong way to have a tribute; all that matters is whatever feels meaningful to the individual.
Complicated grief, characterized by painful feelings lasting more than a year after a loss, might require professional help for healing. Learning how to cope with a suicide loss is a process that involves being able to let go of the "why" (when ready).
Support and help are always available for grieving after suicide, whether from friends, support groups, or mental health professionals. Participants of peer support groups for suicide bereavement report reduced grief and significant improvement in overall well-being.
In conclusion, the recommended mindset involves accepting all emotions as valid, seeking connection and support, being patient and gentle with oneself, and gradually rebuilding life with purposeful reflection and care. Research articles on suicide bereavement and grief are available for reference, providing valuable insights and guidance throughout the healing journey.
Engaging in open discussions about mental health can help individuals cope with the complexities of suicide grief. Science has shown that mental health, particularly effective therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), plays a significant role in healing from grief related to suicide. Nowadays, the health-and-wellness sector offers numerous online resources and support groups that focus on mental-health aspects of coping with suicide loss.
