Reaching out to those who have been
bereaved by suicide
Suicide is devastating for families, friends and
community members who are left behind.
They may experience a whole range of emotions,
including grief, anger, guilt, disbelief and selfblame.
They may not feel that they can share
these overwhelming feelings with anyone else.
Therefore, reaching out to those who have lost
someone to suicide is very important.
As a result of the stigma surrounding suicide,
those who are bereaved by suicide are often
perceived differently from those who lose a
family member through another cause of death.
People who are bereaved may find that they are
avoided by people who don’t know how to broach
the subject or offer their condolences. Or they
may just feel that others do not understand the
intensity of their emotional response to the death
of their loved one.