Support After Suicide has created a guide to make people feel more comfortable about reaching out to someone bereaved or affected by suicide. It was specifically designed to help friends and family understand how best to provide support.
How to support someone bereaved or affected by suicide
Talking to a friend or loved one after they have been affected by a suicide loss can feel daunting. A lot of people find themselves at a loss for words when attempting to support or comfort someone who is grieving, even if it’s someone that they are very close to.
Some people worry about saying the ‘wrong thing’. This can delay contacting them, and before long it might feel as if too much time has passed to say anything at all.
Alongside uncertainty over how we should react to a bereavement, there's the reality that individuals grieving due to suicide often receive less support from their friends and family, and there are limited suicide bereavement support services available throughout the country.
The guide, ‘Finding the words: How to support someone who has been bereaved and affected by suicide’ offers insights and strategies designed for family or friends of someone impacted by suicide.
Included in the guide are sections on:
- Why suicide is a unique loss
- Things to remember
- Everyone grieves differently
- Things to say and do
- Things to avoid
- Finding help
Useful links
- Support After Suicide website has a range of advice and support guides and details of national and local support services.
The Help is at Hand guide offers practical and emotional advice for people bereaved by suicide.
