Nov. 23 is International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, a day designated by Congress as a day for those affected by suicide to come together for healing and support. It falls on the Saturday before Thanksgiving each year.
Emotions experienced by survivors of suicide loss
The stigma surrounding suicide and mental illness, coupled with the profound emotions tied to the loss of a loved one, often leaves survivors hesitant to seek the support they need. Many are unaware of the resources available to them, while others may struggle with the motivation to reach out. This can lead to feelings of isolation, compounding the grieving process and making it even more challenging to navigate.
The intense emotional toll of losing someone to suicide can significantly increase the risk of developing anxiety and depression, including a condition known as complicated grief.
Explaining complicated grief
Complicated grief is defined as prolonged, unresolved, or traumatic grief characterized by intense feelings associated with acute grief. (2) If unaddressed, complicated grief can cause significant distress and, persistent feelings of longing and yearning, eventually resulting in substantial deficiencies in their occupational, social, and interpersonal functioning. Furthermore, they may experience increased rates of psychiatric co-morbidities, increased medical issues, insomnia, and substance abuse. One may start to suffer from recurrent major depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal behavior.
A study completed in 2019, inferred that the interpersonal factors of belonging, self-disclosure, and social support play a very important role in facilitating growth for those who have experienced traumatic suicide loss of a loved one. (3)
- Self-disclosure is the process of sharing one’s personal feelings and has been found to be an important component of dealing with grief.
- Utilizing appropriate tools and support systems can help us identify and understand our emotions to promote a healthy healing journey.
- Talking to a network of people who you feel safe with, who will understand your sense of loss or connecting with a network who might have shared a similar experience of loss, can be immensely helpful.
- Not rushing yourself through the process of grief and allowing you the time, space and grace needed to address the trauma of suicide loss is important.
If the grief persists for a prolonged period, and there are feelings of unrelenting anguish, depression, hopelessness, or suicidal thoughts, seeking professional help can be helpful and necessary. Self-care, well-being, joy, or laughter do not mean less grief, but it means giving yourself the permission to heal and grow despite the grief.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States.
Family Care Center is also here to talk. Our providers offer comprehensive mental health care for patients of all ages, including talk therapy for individuals, couples and families. Let us support you and your loved ones along your path to healing.
References:
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- https://afsp.org/ive-lost-someone
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- Levi-Belz Y, Lev-Ari L. “Let’s Talk About It”: The Moderating Role of Self-Disclosure on Complicated Grief over Time among Suicide Survivors. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Oct 4;16(19):3740. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16193740. PMID: 31590225; PMCID: PMC6801618.
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- Levi-Belz Y. Growing together: interpersonal predictors of posttraumatic growth trajectory among suicide-loss survivors. Anxiety Stress Coping. 2022 May;35(3):284-297. doi: 10.1080/10615806.2021.1958791. Epub 2021 Jul 27. PMID: 34314267.
