The Impact of Suicide on Those Left Behind

Experts, those who counsel the bereaved, and the bereaved themselves have said that the death of someone by suicide is likely to have a much more intense and lasting impact than death by another cause. In this interview, Donaleen will discuss the challenges of dealing with grief from a suicide, the importance of seeking help, and will offer some tips and suggestions arising from her own experience as a suicide survivor.

Mourning the Loss of a Loved One to Suicide

At the heart of Donaleen Saul’s book, Did You Know I Would Miss You? The Transformational Journey of the Suicide Survivor is the idea that living on and living well after the death of a loved one by suicide means having the courage to mourn our loss. In this interview, Donaleen discusses what mourning means and how it is possible for each of us to mourn in our own way.

Understanding Grief

In North American culture, being grief-stricken is often seen as self-indulgent, when it is in fact a healthy response to any important loss, whether it’s the loss of a loved one, of a way of life, of anything to which we are deeply attached. Donaleen discusses how viewing grief as an ally can enable us to move through it more quickly and to live a more joyful life.

Bringing Meaning to Loss by Suicide

“How do I bring meaning to this loss?” can be a useful question for people bereaved by suicide. It can lighten the passage through grief, it can counter the helplessness that so many suicide survivors feel, and, most important of all, it can spark hope. In this interview, Donaleen will point to the many practical ways that survivors can bring meaning to this devastating loss.

Journaling to Heal Loss by Suicide

The clinical benefits of writing about stressful life events have been well documented. Donaleen will discuss these benefits and will describe journal-writing tools that support healing, reconciliation, as well as those that support embracing life more fully.