Stories of surviving suicide loss, mental health, education and prevention
Jesse was a Red Seal Welder in northern British Columbia. He had two daughters, two and six. He was separated from their mom, and he was engaged to be married to another girl. So he had two step sons aged 10 and 12 also.
I think it was depression. I think alcohol dependency had a part in it.
The journey through grief As told by Jennifer Walhout We belong to a club we didn’t sign up for. We just passed the seven year anniversary of losing our son Matthew and I can’t tell the difference between year one and year seven. I wish it got better. It gets different, but I don’t thinkContinue reading “‘I made a decision to live’”
I have a friend here in town who I think said it perfect. She came over to my house right after Abbie died. And she said to me that day, “I didn’t bring any food to eat. I have absolutely no idea what to say, but I’m here if you need me.” And I thought, that’s perfect. And she’s still beside me all the time. She didn’t know what to say, and I wouldn’t have known what to say..
You don’t have to say anything, just be there. I think that’s what sometimes is the hardest, it’s the people that almost act like it never occurred.
Rachel’s story, as told by her mother Jennifer Loughran I stayed at daughter’s house for a month after her death. I had two children, my son Jesse was born in 1988, and my daughter Rachel born in 1991. Initially I was a stay at home mom but not for very long because my ex-husband isContinue reading “‘My Girl’ – Jennifer’s Story”
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) is rolling out a newly improved FindTreatment.gov, built to be the most comprehensive resource for persons seeking treatment for mental and substance use disorders, FindTreatment.gov offers you the ability to: • Search for treatment from multiple sources such as certified substance use and mental health treatment facilities, opioid treatment programs,Continue reading “SAMSHA unveils improved FindTreatment.gov “
This month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), will award more than $130 million in 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline grants – part of the $800 million provided to SAMHSA under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to address the nation’s ongoing mentalContinue reading “HHS awards more than $130 million in 988 Lifeline Grants”
Men overall have a suicide rate three and four times as high as women, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One reason is that men tend to choose more lethal means— most often firearms. Men are also less likely than women to seek mental-health help. And men’s anxiety and depression often come across asContinue reading “Men’s suicide rate is 3 to 4 times as high as women. This new approach may help”
Researchers at the University of York and the Royal College of Music have proposed a new way of harnessing music therapy for the diagnosis, assessment and monitoring of depression: “Phatic behaviors in conversation can include small-talk, interjections and gestures which put the other person at ease and strengthen social bonds and understanding. These behaviors canContinue reading “Researchers suggest new approach to music therapy to help trace change in depression”
Witnessing a suicide or finding someone after they have died, whether you know the person or not, can be very traumatic. The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) New Hampshire Chapter’s Connect program notes you may have intense feelings and reactions – normal responses to an abnormal event. NAMI notes: “People who have lost aContinue reading “Witness to suicide”
Suicide ripples out through families, social circles and communities. Whether you have lost a loved one, witnessed or found them after, or witnessed the death of another, the trauma of your loss and experience will affect you in different ways. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP): “Everyone experiences a suicide loss inContinue reading “Surviving suicide loss – what to expect”
The Grief Project 