Toolkit

For Families and Loved Ones Navigating a Suicide Loss

Understanding Suicide Loss

This part of the toolkit helps you understand what suicide loss is, why it can feel so different from other deaths, and some of the emotional and physical reactions that many people experience. Knowing that these responses are common can lessen the burden of feeling "abnormal" or alone.

What is suicide bereavement?

Bereavement refers to the profound grief and mourning that follow the death of someone close. When the death is by suicide, grief often feels more complicated and intense. Emotions such as disbelief, guilt, shock, anger, confusion, and shame can surface alongside deep sadness or love. The suddenness of suicide—combined with the trauma that may surround it—can make this kind of loss especially difficult to comprehend.

People experiencing suicide bereavement often describe feeling disconnected from others, misunderstood, or even unfairly judged. These feelings are natural responses to a painful and complex loss, not signs that you are grieving "the wrong way." Each person's experience is shaped by their relationship with the person who died, their own coping strengths, and the supports available to them. (Tal Young, et al., 2012), (Today, 2021)

Created by the Crisis Centre of BC, the video, What Is Suicide Bereavement?, is a helpful informational resource to help those who have experienced a suicide loss. It explains what suicide bereavement is and how bereavement support groups can help in their grief journey.