The Healing Narratives of Suicide Grief

The Healing Narratives of Suicide Grief - Where are the Memorials?

Mary lost her partner, Phil, to suicide 3½ years before recording this podcast. Mary has been a therapist for 30 years but had no idea how significant the loss would be until it happened to her.
“Life has changed forever. I am changed forever.”
We discuss the:
statistics around suicide loss.
absence of significant memorial sites - or silence that surrounds them.
use of creativity in healing.
shift in Mary’s career – from therapist to art student.
history of suicide and how it is being played out in society today.
silence and stigma that surrounds suicide.
open inquest proceedings in the UK and how it affected Mary.
lack of pro-active support Mary received.
importance of community.
physical effects of suicide loss.
Mary would like to hear from you about how you have memorialised your loss or how you feel about the memorialisation of suicide loss in particular. If you feel as passionate about it as Mary does, please email Sue at sueeganpsychology@gmail.com and messages will be passed to Mary.
Please listen with care and know there are people out there that can help and support you. 
Within the UK: 
Samaritans - Free on 116 123 
Suicide&Co - Free on 0800 054 8400 Mon-Friday 9aam-9pm 
Within the US: 
Suicide Hotline: Free on 1-800-273-8255 or text 742741 
Find Dr Sue:
Instagram
Facebook
Linked In
For more resources: www.suicidegriefsupport.com
For EMDR Grief Retreats - www.EMDRGriefRetreat.com

The Healing Narratives of Suicide Grief - Fighting For Myself

In episode 30, Sara shared how it was losing her son, Billy, to suicide almost 3 years ago. This episode is Keelie’s story - Keelie is Billy’s sister.
Keelie shares what it was like from the perspective of being his older ‘protective’ sister and how difficult it was coping with Billy’s mental health difficulties.
We discuss how:
hard it was grieving with very young children.
Keelie was inspired to start a running group, which helped her find herself and cope with the loss.
all-consuming Billy’s illness was for the whole family.
Keelie’s family made the decision to live a life worth living.
resilient she has become.
it has affected every area of her life.
Please listen with care and know there are people out there that can help and support you. 
Within the UK: 
Samaritans - Free on 116 123 
Suicide&Co - Free on 0800 054 8400 Mon-Friday 9aam-9pm 
Within the US: 
Suicide Hotline: Free on 1-800-273-8255 or text 742741 
Find Dr Sue:
Instagram
Facebook
Linked In
For more resources: www.suicidegriefsupport.com
For EMDR Grief Retreats - www.EMDRGriefRetreat.com
 
The links you need from this episode:
Keelie| Running 🏃🏼‍♀️ (@running.swimming.bubbles) • Instagram photos and videos
Run4Rene | A mental health community that runs.
Get running with Couch to 5K - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

the Healing Narratives of Suicide Grief - Supporting a Child

Andrea lost a good friend to suicide 8 years ago and shared her story of this in episode 28 Andrea is back to share what it was like telling her 7 year old twins and how she has coped with the mental health difficulties of her son, Isaac.
We discuss-
how to tell the children of a suicide loss and how to support them in grief.
the effect suicide loss had on Isaac.
how Andrea coped with Isaac’s suicide attempt and strategies she used to support him.
how Andrea started to look after her own mental health and find her own support.
the compassionate use of language around mental health.
school ‘refusal’ and how to cope.
how as parents and caregivers we need to understand the impact on ourselves in order to become assertive with other people about our children’s best interests.
Please listen with care and know there are people out there that can help and support you. 
Within the UK: 
Samaritans - Free on 116 123 
Suicide&Co - Free on 0800 054 8400 Mon-Friday 9aam-9pm 
Within the US: 
Suicide Hotline: Free on 1-800-273-8255 or text 742741 
Find Dr Sue:
Instagram
Facebook
Linked In
For more resources: www.suicidegriefsupport.com
For EMDR Grief Retreats - www.EMDRGriefRetreat.com
 
The links you need from this episode:
Andrea on Instagram
Andrea on Facebook
Andrea's website
Parenting Mental Health Website

The Healing Narratives of Suicide Grief - Transforming Pain into Purpose

Cindy lost her 19 year old son, Andrew, the youngest of her 5 children, to suicide 4 years ago.
Cindy speaks openly and honestly about how being a mum defines who she is and, since losing Andrew, how she has managed the physical and emotional manifestation of grief.
Part of Cindy’s journey has been to start a charity – the Aslan foundation – in order to support others with teenagers struggling with their mental health.
Cindy’s story is both moving and heartfelt – showing us how a mother’s love endures through everything and how Andrew will forever live on in her.
 
Please listen with care and know there are people out there that can help and support you. 
Within the UK: 
Samaritans - Free on 116 123 
Suicide&Co - Free on 0800 054 8400 Mon-Friday 9aam-9pm 
Within the US: 
Suicide Hotline: Free on 1-800-273-8255 or text 742741 
Find Dr Sue:
Instagram
Facebook
Linked In
For more resources: www.suicidegriefsupport.com
For EMDR Grief Retreats - www.EMDRGriefRetreat.com
 
The links you need from this episode:
The Aslan Foundation – Offering Help For today, Light for tomorrow, and hope a the future
Instagram - The Aslan Foundation Mental Health Page
Instagram - Aslan’s SurvivorsofSuicideLoss Page

The Healing Narratives of Suicide Grief - Questioning the Legitimacy of my Grief as a Teen

20 years ago, Nick lost a friend at high school to suicide. Nick’s friend, Zaf had struggled with what was known as Manic Depression at the time (now recognised as Bipolar) and Nick discusses the struggles Zaf faced as a teenager.
Nick shares the effect grief and guilt had on him and, without any support available to him or his friends at the time, why he had no idea how (or even why) to process his feelings.
We hope that by Nick sharing his story, we can understand how adolescents may process grief and how we can best support them. For example, we discuss how it is best to foster open emotional relationships with adolescents so that when events like this happen, talking about emotions is acceptable and safe.
Nick has learnt how to embrace his feelings and feels he is more emotionally mature due to what happened to Zaf. In particular, Nick has channelled some of his guilt into becoming a Samaritans listening volunteer and discusses the charity’s values and beliefs about suicide and how they support suicidal people.
Please listen with care and know there are people out there that can help and support you. 
Within the UK: 
Samaritans - Free on 116 123 
Suicide&Co - Free on 0800 054 8400 Mon-Friday 9aam-9pm 
Within the US: 
Suicide Hotline: Free on 1-800-273-8255 or text 742741 
Find Dr Sue:
Instagram
Facebook
Linked In
For more resources: www.suicidegriefsupport.com
For EMDR Grief Retreats - www.EMDRGriefRetreat.com

The Healing Narratives of Suicide Grief - I Did the Best I Could

This is Sara’s story of losing her son, Billy, to suicide in 2019. Sara trained to be a counsellor 20 years ago and found it helpful in staying strong and calm whilst caring for Billy during a long period of mental health difficulties shrouded by drug misuse.
Sarah is passionate about talking about Billy and the discrimination he faced and her need to support him 24/7.  Since Billy’s death, Sara has become an advocate for raising awareness about the often ignored condition of Bipolar whilst seeking justice for Billy.
In her story, Sara challenges and explains why some views of supporting suicidal people may not always be helpful and how cold water swimming has helped her cope with the confusing emotions she can often feel.
This is a story of courage and justice.
 
Please listen with care and know there are people out there that can help and support you. 
Within the UK: 
Samaritans - Free on 116 123 
Suicide&Co - Free on 0800 054 8400 Mon-Friday 9aam-9pm 
Within the US: 
Suicide Hotline: Free on 1-800-273-8255 or text 742741 
Find Dr Sue:
Instagram
Facebook
Linked In
For more resources: www.suicidegriefsupport.com
For EMDR Grief Retreats - www.EMDRGriefRetreat.com
 
The links you need from this episode:
Sara on Instagram
The Midnight Library book
When It Is Darkest book
 

The Healing Narratives of Suicide Grief - Becoming My Own Best Friend

Andrea lost her friend, Chris, to suicide 8 years ago. Chris had bipolar and Andrea and her family had supported him through his highs and lows.
In this episode hear how:
Andrea coped with telling her young children and how they have processed it since,
she hid herself from the anger (towards herself and Chris) and then managed to process it – basically how she processed the conflict of “you caused us this pain” and “it wasn’t your fault,”
Andrea’s physiotherapy career has taken a turn since realising humans are emotional and physical beings,
Andrea handled the guilt of thinking she could have saved Chris,
different therapies have helped her,
Andrea handled the internal argument between her body, heart and mind.
Andrea has found self-compassion using art.
Please listen with care and know there are people out there that can help and support you. 
Within the UK: 
Samaritans - Free on 116 123 
Suicide&Co - Free on 0800 054 8400 Mon-Friday 9aam-9pm 
Within the US: 
Suicide Hotline: Free on 1-800-273-8255 or text 742741 
Find Dr Sue:
Instagram
Facebook
Linked In
For more resources: www.suicidegriefsupport.com
For EMDR Grief Retreats - www.EMDRGriefRetreat.com
 
The links you need from this episode:
Parenting Mental Health
Andrea's website - Rafiki Art
Andrea on Instagram
Andrea on Facebook

The Healing Narratives of Suicide Grief - Depression Was Responsible

This is an inspiring story of hope from Bee, a suicide attempt survivor who wishes to help suicide loss-survivors heal from the responsibility and guilt they may feel.
Since her attempt, Bee is on a mission as a mental health advocate to make sure she does all she can to reduce the lives lost to suicide. After having her own grief and struggling with mental health problems since a young age, Bee gives amazing insights on her own journey.
Hear us discuss many issues of mental health and suicide. Including why Bee did what she did that day and how she shares this to help us understand how depression confused her thinking so much and clouded reality.
Please listen to this with extra care. Bee and I share this discussion because I do believe by understanding suicide more, we can start to make sense of why our loved ones did what they did.  I am also acutely aware that there is always a myriad of reasons why people take their own lives, but hope that with the complexity of every suicide-attempt story I share, society begin to understand that suicide is never simple.
I am also very aware that stories like this can be difficult to listen to as suicide-loss survivors because we so wish our loved ones were still here to share their story. Hence please listen when you feel able to and switch off at any point if you are noticing it is too much for you to hear right now. These podcasts will remain here as long as podcasts exist, so you can always revisit it when you are at a different point in your journey with grief.
Please listen with care and know there are people out there that can help and support you. 
Within the UK: 
Samaritans - Free on 116 123 
Suicide&Co - Free on 0800 054 8400 Mon-Friday 9aam-9pm 
Within the US: 
Suicide Hotline: Free on 1-800-273-8255 or text 742741 
Find Dr Sue:
Instagram
Facebook
Linked In
For more resources: www.suicidegriefsupport.com
For EMDR Grief Retreats - www.EMDRGriefRetreat.com
 
The links you need from this episode:
Bee on Instagram
Bee on Facebook
Twitter: Beeinspiredtalk