Category: Suicide

I lost my husband and the father of my children to suicide

by Christine New 

Dennis New died by suicide
Dennis New

When I first met Dennis, we were both in ninth grade at a middle school in Ann Arbor, Michigan and we didn’t like each other very much. I had just graduated from a private school.

We didn’t have any interaction at all. I had my group of friends. He had his. 

In our junior year of high school, we had a class together and ended up sitting next to each other. I believe it was British Literature. Dennis used to bring a different book to class with him every day. He would sit and read … Read more...

What is grief?

by Mary-ellen Viglis

Mary-ellen and her son, DJ who suffered from depression and addiction and died by suicide

Grief has no words
It isn’t tangible
It is inexplicable
It is something I wish I didn’t know intricately
Yet I do…

It is made up of
Tears
Memories
Hugs
Love
Sadness
Good times
Difficult times
Long embraces
Regrets
Promises
Emptiness
Denial
Acceptance
Unfairness
Heartbreak
Shared moments
Missed moments
Unspoken words
Truth
Lies
Beauty
Ugliness
Sadness
Joy
Unforgettable moments
Darkness
Light
Simplicity

Complication
Laughter
Sickness
Healing
Gratitude
Blessings
Loneliness
Mistakes
Successes
More tears
Overflowing
Never ending
Heartbreaking
Constant
Tears
And smiles
And … Read more...

My father died by suicide four months ago

by Kiernan Gallagher, 14 years old
Published with Kiernan’s and her mom’s permission

I didn’t return to school for about three weeks and returning was like being held underwater.

When my dad first passed away, I didn’t want the sun to rise. I didn’t want my favorite song to play. I didn’t want to look at the stars — I didn’t even want to eat. I didn’t want to do anything because I lost my dad, my hero, my best friend, and so much more all in one. So going into school — a place which feels like a prison … Read more...

Online Suicide Prevention Training

online suicide prevention training

Need online suicide prevention training? This 90-minute online program is quite good.

LivingWorks is a leader in suicide prevention training. I’m a registered trainer through this organization and typically deliver the 4-hour training called safeTALK.  Sometimes it’s more convenient to take online training and LivingWorks Start is a great program with 90 minutes of interactive content. 

Features: 

  • Skills can be learned and applied remotely with any computer or device
  • High-quality content and simulations 
  • In-depth customization
  • Proven to increase skills
  • Lifetime access to resources and refreshers
… Read more...

How to Talk to Families Who’ve Suffered a Loss by Suicide

I am partnering with VFDA to bring this topic to deathcare professionals (funeral directors) in Virginia. If you know a funeral director, please share.

Where: Through Zoom Webinar
When: Tue, 04/28/2020, 4:00 pm-5:00 pm EDT
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free for VFDA members

Speaking of Suicide
How to Talk to Families Who’ve Suffered a Loss by Suicide

A loss by suicide is like no other, and the grief can be especially traumatic. Given that many of these families feel intense shame and the uncomfortable nature of suicide, directors are often unsure of the right thing to do or say. This workshop offers … Read more...

How does it feel to lose a loved one to suicide?

roller coaster of emotions

Even though many of the feelings listed go with any grief event, they are exacerbated in a suicide death. Here’s how a loss by suicide feels for many of us:

  • It feels confusing. The coulda, woulda, shouldas play on autopilot in our heads. Trying to talk us out if it invalidates our feelings in the early stages. Active listening is the most important skill.
  • We think or say:
    • “Didn’t he know how much I loved him?”
    • “I thought he loved us. How could he do this?”
    • “My brother would never do this. Someone had to have caused this.”
    • “Can I
… Read more...

Emotionally Naked with Laura Stack: The Gifts of Grief

How I’m Coping with My Son’s Suicide

Emotionally Naked with Laura Stack
The Gifts of Grief. How I’m coping with My Son’s Suicide
Thurs, April 30, 2020, at 3 pm MST/5 pm EST
This is a Zoom Meeting Virtual Event

A suggested donation of $15 to go to Laura’s nonprofit, Johnny’s Ambassadors is appreciated However, if that’s too much, donate what you can. It all counts.

Register on Eventbrite

Laura Stack is a well-known international, hall-of-fame speaker on productivity who was hit by a tragedy in her family when her 19-year-old son, Johnny, died by suicide November 20, 2019.… Read more...

Does marijuana use increase teen suicide risk?

In memory of Johnny Stack who died by suicide, November 20, 2019, at age 19

by Laura Stack

Strong emotional content and suicide method referenced. If you are in crisis, text “help” to 741-741 or call 988

My cell phone rang at 1:03 AM on Thursday, November 20, 2019, and I woke with a start. I always kept my ringtone volume on full blast so I hear my son Johnny’s late-night calls. I reached over picked up the phone expecting to see my son’s name on the screen.

Instead, it said Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

“Hello?”

The voice on the … Read more...

No one can feel it and no one can heal it

by Nida Fatima

I am Nida Fatima, a married, 29-year-old woman living in India.

I believed I cannot do everything right because God had blessed me with a painful illness called bipolar disorder.

As a child, I was physically abused and couldn’t tell my family about it because it was too shameful and I struggled to explain because I was just 5 years old.

My family thought that my behavior was showing symptoms of bipolar. So they didn’t bond with me. This made me so depressed, I completely lost my focus. I was confused about what this illness was exactly. … Read more...

Cutting to cope

by Anjelica Diaz

I was only 13 and when I went through rough times. I had to move away from my home and my dad, and start over at a new school. It did have its perks though. I got to be with my baby brother and sister.

A few weeks in, I was placed in CPS (Child Protective Services) and went to a mental hospital for the first time. I still remember the day–March 17, 2015. It was really scary and I think that’s where all my behaviors started.

I thought about suicide but I’d never attempted it. It … Read more...

Episode 130- Undertaking: The Podcast

#130 Diary of a Broken Mind with Anne Moss Rogers

undertaking the podcast with anne moss rogers

Undertaking: The Podcast Website

Trigger warning: Method mentioned briefly

Listen on other platforms:

I was slated to speak at ICCFA, International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association on the subject of Speaking of Suicide: How to talk to people who’ve lost someone to suicide. Like a lot of conferences, it was cancelled due to COVID19. I’m now booked for next year, however, and will be presenting the workshop virtually in other Funeral Director State Chapters. If you want to book this for your … Read more...

I wish our love could keep someone else alive

A dear friend lost her son to suicide last night. She was one of the first people to follow this blog and I knew both her and her boy. I won’t share any more than that because it’s not my story to tell. Heartbroken isn’t a big enough word to describe how I feel.

For mothers and fathers who’ve lost a child, we never forget hearing the news.

Maybe some of the finer details are shuffled, but that desperate longing in our souls for one more hug and our irrational disbelief that it can’t be true steals our breath and … Read more...

Physical distancing instead of social distancing

by Charlotte Moyler

 I started my time of quarantine before the actual outbreak occurred. I had a need to get away for a time of reflection and healing. So, in many ways, I was pre-prepared for a time such as this. Now, after two months, I have learned so much more about myself, family, friends and life. 

I am bothered by the excessive use of the term “Social Distancing”. I feel people are becoming more connected during this time of COVID-9. I prefer to call it “Physical Distancing”. 

This morning, at sunbreak, I sat outside with my tea and the … Read more...

My mental health recovery

by Jessy Rodriguez

I am a graduate student studying mental health counseling at the University of St. Thomas, in Houston, TX. I have an undergraduate degree in psychology with a minor in human services. Education is everything to me; this was not always the case.

My childhood was marked by trauma and abuse

My siblings and I were placed in foster care. I was removed from my mother’s custody on April 3, 1998, a few weeks before my twelfth birthday and placed in my aunt’s custody for about six months. After leaving my aunt’s house, I was placed in many … Read more...