Coping with Suicide

The passing of a loved one is a difficult experience, but losing a loved one due to suicide is a devastating and complex loss. The grieving process after a suicide occurs, can be a confusing, emotional process. Many people are unsure how to process and discuss the topic.

An Emotional Situation
Be prepared for the intense emotions that accompany a loved one's suicide.

• Shock
• Anger
• Guilt
• Despair
• Confusion
• Rejection

It is normal to feel a medley of emotions during this time. These intense reactions may blend into emotional chaos, as many have difficulty processing this form of loss. Many people are shocked about the occurrence, as a majority find it hard to believe it happened and never noticed any signs of such despair. Some may be angry that the individual chose to end his or her life, and believe such actions to be "selfish" and "thoughtless," because how dare this individual leave behind everyone to suffer after such a devastating loss. Feelings of guilt and rejection may be present, as loved one's question if they were the cause, if they missed the signs and opportunity to stop this desperate end, or why their relationship with the person was not good enough for the person to live with. The loss of a loved one is devastating in general, but there may be feelings of extreme despair and anguish at such a sudden, distressing cause of death, as well as confusion as to why the individual chose an early end to their life.

Healthy Coping Strategies
Coping with a suicide is difficult, but it is possible to go through the grief in a safe, healthy manner. Here are some healthy coping strategies:

• Keep connected. Family, friends, religious groups, and other means of support are available for comfort. It is important to surround yourself with people who are available and willing to listen, talk, and just be there for you during your time of need.
• Support groups are also available. Sharing your story and listening to others is a good way to gain understanding as well as release emotions in an empathetic setting.
• Don't rush to be healed. Coping is a process that may take a while, so don't think that you need to feel better the next day. The healing process goes at its own pace, varying person to person, so take your time to recover.
• Avoid unhealthy methods of coping, such as partaking in reckless behavior. Activities such as heavy alcohol consumption, drugs, and self-harm will only make the situation worse.
• Grieve in your own way. People react differently, so there is no absolute way to grieve. You may prefer to seek reminders of the individual, share your situation with others, or seek creative outlets of expression, such as poetry or art, as your method of coping.

Helping Children Cope
Suicide is difficult for many adults to process and cope with, but children have even more difficulty understanding and managing the aftereffects of the suicide. Many children involved may feel responsible for the death of the loved one, and it is important for adults to reassure the child that this is in no way their fault. The child or children may be going through much confusion as they feel the many emotions that result from a suicide, so it is important to provide support. Professional counseling or support groups are available outlets that can help adults and children alike process the situation. It is also important to have open, honest discussions on the manner to help those involved get through the emotions and know they are not alone. Discussing the death is important in order to prevent the child from closing off and becoming depressed themselves.

Suicide impacts everyone in connection with the victim. If you or someone you know has experienced the loss of a loved one due to suicide, understand that the death was not your fault but was due to compressing emotions the victim had been undergoing and chose to escape from through their own means. Support is available to help you and loved ones recover from such a tragic experience. Seek help from others to make the aftermath of a suicide more manageable. If biohazards resulted due to the suicide call a professional company that specializes in suicide clean up rather than attempt to address it yourself, as there are many dangers associated and it is a very emotional task. Consider talking to a mental health professional or support group to help process the situation and the emotions that accompany it. It may feel as though life cannot go on or as though you will never feel happy again, but the truth of the matter is that you will be able to recover. You may not forget the person and what happened (and you don't have to) but you will be able to live on and honor the memory of your loved one.

In this sad time, if you need a reputable company for the suicide clean up of blood and bio-hazard material than SI Restoration is here to help. Call on us 24/7 to take care of the clean up situation.