Today being World Suicide Prevention Day, I am reaching out to those who’ve been bereaved by suicide. As someone whose brother took his life in 2004, I understand all too well why people who have lost beloveds to suicide are at risk of following in their footsteps. As I describe in my book – Did […]
Fifteen years ago, I lost my younger brother, Steve, to suicide. In the early months and years that followed, I often felt badly that I didn’t do enough to prevent his death. Thanks to counselling, and writing a book about his death and the aftermath (Did You Know I Would Miss You? – The Transformational […]
Unfortunately, yes. In the past, it was commonly believed that suicide rates spiked at Christmas, but studies reveal that they drop during the holidays and then peak for the first few weeks of the new year. Researchers surmise that, for those who are already struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, the Christmas promise of peace, […]
Today is Dia de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, in Mexico. While it coincides with Hallowe’en, it is not about fright and mischief, but about showing love and respect for deceased family members. The festival dates back several thousand years to the Aztec, Toltec, Nuatl and other Indigenous peoples of Mexico, who viewed death […]
If there’s one thing that can’t be slotted into a timetable, it’s grief. Many of us are not able to deal with our grief immediately after our loss. The circumstances of the death may have been violent or otherwise difficult to deal with, we may be traumatized by what has occurred, and/or we may feel […]
After losing someone to suicide, the questions seem endless. In this blog, I will be exploring them one at a time.
I have been asking myself that very question today, which happens to be the 13th anniversary of my brother’s death. Steve’s Death Day is no longer the sad, dreary, headache-inducing day that it once was. It feels as though we have both moved on from the trauma of his suicide. But I still wanted to […]
First, understand that your pain is natural and understandable. Your loved one was very likely in great pain, and now, so are you and other loved ones. You need to take extra care of yourself now. Spend time with people who care about you and aren’t trying to fix you. Spend time in places that […]