Helping A Survivor

How You Can Help A Survivor

Historian Arnold Toynbee once wrote, "There are always two parties to a death; the person who
dies and the survivors who are bereaved." Unfortunately, many survivors of suicide suffer alone and
in silence. The silence that surrounds them often complicates the healing that comes from being
encouraged to mourn.

Because of the social stigma surrounding suicide, survivors feel the pain of the loss, yet may not
know how, or where, or if, they should express it. Yet, the only way to heal is to mourn. Just like
other bereaved persons grieving the loss of someone loved, suicide survivors need to talk, to cry,
sometimes to scream, in order to heal.

As a result of fear and misunderstanding, survivors of suicide deaths are often left with a feeling of
abandonment at a time when they desperately need unconditional support and understanding.
Without a doubt, suicide survivors suffer in a variety of ways: one, because they need to mourn the
loss of someone who has died; two, because they have experienced a sudden, typically unexpected
traumatic death; and three, because they are often shunned by a society unwilling to enter into the
pain of their grief.

How Can You Help?
           iAccept the Intensity of the Grief
           iListen With Your Heart
           iAvoid Simplistic Explanations and Clichés
           iBe Compassionate
           iRespect The Need To Grieve
           iUnderstand The Uniqueness Of Suicide Grief
           iSupport Groups
           iRespect Faith And Spirituality
           iWork Together As Helpers

Survivors Of Suicide is a good resource for more information on How You Can Help a Survivor.

To find a Survivor Support Group in your area visit American Foundation For Suicide Prevention.

A Devotional For Survivors

Nathan Alan Eisert Foundation, Inc.