Albert Y. Hsu wrestles with emotional and spiritual questions surrounding suicide, ultimately pointing survivors to the God who offers comfort in our grief and hope for the future. This revised edition now includes a discussion guide for suicide survivor groups.
What do you do when your father dies by suicide while you are in the hospital awaiting the birth of your triplets? What do you do when you can't attend your father's funeral because physician orders include complete bed rest? What do you do when you realize that you experienced a devastating loss and that you are not alone in that experience? You write a book and dedicate your life to helping others affected by suicide! Barbara Rubel's fictional characters in But I Didn't Say Goodbye are a compilation of what individuals may experience throughout their lifetime as a suicide loss survivor. But I Didn't Say Goodbye: Helping Families After a Suicide tells the story, from the perspective of an eleven-year-old boy, Alex, and his family, as they are rocked by suicide and reeling from the aftermath. Through Alex's eyes, the reader will see the transformation of feelings after going through a death by suicide. New to the third edition, each chapter ends with Alex reflecting 10 years later on his experience, introducing family members and friends in his recollections. Barbara Rubel has combined our modern academic theories of grieving, and the research that supports those theories, and then translated them into a readable story for anyone bereaved by suicide. The revised edition is an evidence-informed and contemporary treatment of a devastating form of loss that uses the artful device of a hypothetical case study to render it in human terms. Through the story, the reader will understand what losing someone to suicide might be like for a family, how to make meaning in the loss, and ways to experience personal growth. This self-help book was revised to provide guidance and education for clinicians (e.g., mental health providers, social workers, psychologists, school counselors, and case managers) and families to help suicide loss survivors. Part 1 offers a basic understanding of suicide postvention, suicide loss survivors, complicated grief, mourning theories, the American death system, and the impact on clinician survivors. Chapters have been substantially updated, based on mourning models and the latest research. The chapters in Part 2 build upon one another sequentially, from the day of the suicide to the anniversary of the death. At the end of each chapter, there are follow-up questions to explore in counseling sessions, support groups, therapy sessions, or at home. Also, at the end of each chapter, Alex, at the age of 21, reflects back on how his father's death by suicide has changed his life, wounding him, but also helping him to grow.
Suicide remains one of the most pressing public health concerns across the world. Expensive in terms of the human cost and associated suffering, the economic costs, the social costs and the spiritual costs, it affects millions of people every year. This important reference work collects together a wide range of research around suicide and suicide prevention, in order to guide future research and provide guidance for professionals about the best way to respond meaningfully to suicidal patients. Responding to the need for multi-disciplinary and international research to deepen our understanding of suicide, it demonstrates where our knowledge is firmly evidence-based and where new areas for research are emerging, as well as highlighting where we know little. Divided into six parts, each with its own editorial introduction and commentary, it explores research with and about survivors of suicide and indigenous populations. The remaining sections look at suicide-focused research in psychiatric nursing, psychiatry, psychology, and social work and allied health. It is of interest to all advanced students, practitioners and scholars interested in suicide and its impact and prevention.
When people die by suicide, they leave behind family and friends who suddenly find themselves mourning the person's loss and wondering what happened. This guide addresses many personal issues related to a death by suicide, including telling others, working through the grief, finding what helps people to heal, and grieving in children and youth. This Ontario guide also outlines practical things that need taking care of, such as arranging a funeral and dealing with the deceased's personal, legal and financial matters. A resource section lists organizations, websites and books that may help.
Nothing could hurt worse. But even in the darkness . . . there’s hope. The pain of suicide loss is indescribable. It seems beyond survival. Yet with faith, perseverance, and the tools of brain science, there is a way through. It will take time. It will take struggle. But hope is real, for there are things you can do to make it to the other side. If you are struggling with suicide loss or you need to come alongside someone who is, Rita Schulte wants to help you move forward. As a suicide loss survivor herself, she understands the pain you’re feeling because she has been there too. Rita, an experienced therapist and expert in traumatic loss, offers a science-based therapy model that also takes into account the role of human spirituality. Chapters in this book include: Making Sense of the Desire to Die The Mind-Body Connection Unfinished Business Making Peace with Ourselves Facing the Dark Side Children—Living Behind the Shadow The Time that Remains When it comes to suicide loss, you’ll never have all the answers. But one thing is certain: there are real pathways to help you heal—body, mind, and spirit.
Suicide is a perplexing human behavior that remains among the leading causes of death worldwide, responsible for more deaths each year than all wars, genocide, and homicide combined. Although suicide and other forms of self-injury have baffled scholars and clinicians for thousands of years, the past few decades have brought significant leaps in our understanding of these behaviors. This volume provides a comprehensive summary of the most important and exciting advances in our understanding of suicide and self-injury and our ability to predict and prevent it. Comprised of a formidable who's who in the field, the handbook covers the full spectrum of topics in suicide and self-injury across the lifespan, including the classification of different self-injurious behaviors, epidemiology, assessment techniques, and intervention. Chapters probe relevant issues in our society surrounding suicide, including assisted suicide and euthanasia, suicide terrorism, overlap between suicidal behavior and interpersonal violence, ethical considerations for suicide researchers, and current knowledge on survivors of suicide. The most comprehensive handbook on suicide and self-injury to date, this volume is a must-read text for graduate students, fellows, academic and research psychologists, and other researchers working in the brain and behavioral sciences.
Laceys Sister, 3/29/13 Davids Sister, 10/26/12 Bella, 8/21/12 A sibling loss to suicide is even more unique because the sibling(s) left behind are often forgotten mourning the loss of their brother or sister alone in the shadows of their parents grief. This book discusses some of the challenges sibling survivors of suicide will face, both individually and as a family unit, including: -- What can I expect during the grieving process as a sibling survivor of suicide? -- How can I set boundaries to take care of myself? -- Will my relationship with my parents change? -- How do I answer questions about my now-departed sibling? -- What can I do to get through the holidays and anniversaries? -- How do I keep my brother or sister alive in my life, without him or her physically present? These questions and more are answered directly from the authors experiences following the loss of her eighteen year-old brother to suicide in November 2001. Hopefully, her experiences will give sibling survivors of suicide a bit of strength, hope, and peace in navigating the long road to healing ahead.
The International Handbook of Suicide Prevention showcases the latest cutting-edge research from the world’s leading authorities, and highlights policy and practice implications for the prevention of suicide. Brings together the world’s leading authorities on suicidal behaviour, renowned for their suicide prevention research, policy and practice Addresses the key questions of why people attempt suicide, the best interventions, treatments and care for those at risk, and the key international challenges in trying to prevent suicide Describes up-to-date, theoretically-derived and evidence-based research and practice from across the globe, which will have implications across countries, cultures and the lifespan
Too often people suffering the aftermath of a suicide suffer alone. As the survivor of a person who has ended his or her own life, you are left a painful legacy -- and not one that you chose. Healing After the Suicide of a Loved One will help you take the first steps toward healing. While each individual becomes a suicide survivor in his or her own way, there are predictable phases of pain that most survivors experience sooner or later, from the grief and depression of mourning to guilt, rage, and despair over what you have lost. You may be torturing yourself with repetitive questions such as "What if...?" "Why didn't we...?" and "Why, why, why?" Healing After the Suicide of a Loved One will steer you away from this all-too-common tendency to blame yourself and will put you on the path to healing and recovery. Remember, your wounds can heal and you can recover. Filled with case studies, excellent information, valuable advice, and a completely up-to-date reading list and directory of suicide support groups nationwide, this valuable book will give you the strength and hope to go on living.
Winner of the Resource of the Year award and a first-place award in resources for ministry from the Association of Catholic Publishers and a third-place award in pastoral ministry books from the Catholic Media Association. Many pastoral leaders feel ill-equipped to respond to the turmoil of those who face the death by suicide of a loved one. Responding to Suicide is the first book written for Catholic leaders that takes a holistic approach to understanding suicide and ministering effectively in its aftermath. More than a dozen leading mental health practitioners, Catholic theologians, and pastoral care experts share how best to respond to suicide as leaders in parishes, schools, healthcare systems, and other Church settings. The book offers a cross-disciplinary approach that provides basic information about the central role of mental health in suicide and clarifies Church teaching about suicide, funerals and burials for those who have died by suicide, and their afterlife. The National Center for Health Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that suicide was the tenth most common cause of death among Americans of all ages in 2017 and the second leading cause of death among fifteen to twenty-four year-olds. Death by suicide is usually sudden, often violent, and frequently comes at the end of a long and difficult struggle with a mental illness. Heaped on top of that is a social stigma that leaves loved ones in shock and often burdened with shame. Responding to Suicide addresses common concerns of the bereaved following a suicide: skepticism that Catholic leaders will understand; fear that the Church teaches that their loved one is in hell; and belief that they will find little if any support in the Church. More than a dozen contributors from across the spectrum of Catholic life provide rich guidance rooted in firsthand experience of suicide loss. Contributors include Deacon Ed Shoener, Bishop John P. Dolan, Msgr. Charles Pope, Leticia Adams, Archbishop Wilton Gregory, Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, and clinical experts in the field of mental health and suicide. They share personal stories of loss, grief, hope, and healing, and clear up misconceptions about Church teaching. They offer practical takeaways for pastoral leaders: dos and don’ts when talking about suicide guidance for preaching and planning funerals information on the role of mental illnesses in suicide resource lists for those who grieve as well as for your own professional development suggested protocols for ministering to a school or parish community following a suicide ideas about forming parish outreach ministries to the bereaved that address the needs of suicide loss