Suicide Loss: The Double-Edged Sword of Blame and Shame

After spending over a decade listening to the pain of those who have lost loved ones to suicide, I have felt, vicariously, the two sides of that double-edged sword thousands of times. Blame and shame are two of the words that describe what makes suicide loss so different. They are connected and can come from words someone says to the bereaved or — worse — from inside a survivor’s own heart following a death which is still, in most places, a societal taboo. What these words carry forward are speech and actions that make the aftermath of this kind of loss infinitely more difficult. Ironically, both are undeserved. With education about the complexities of suicide — a phenomenon at all-time highs statistically — the true nature of what drives people to end their lives can be understood, at least as much as anything about suicide can be understood at this time. There are many paths to suicide, perhaps as many as there are people who die by their own hands each year, and that number is in the millions in the United States alone. Each loss is unique; each grief experienced by those left behind is unique because each individual involved is like no one else. This tragic end and the grief that follows are among the most stressful of life events. A host of complications can follow, from malnutrition to systemic disease and breakdowns of mental health. Ronnie Walker, executive director and founder of the Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors, stated in Ju...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Grief and Loss Self-Help Suicide Bereavement grieving Shame Survivor Guilt Source Type: blogs