Are you a parent, grandparent – or some other family member – who’s been impacted by the suicide of someone you loved? I wrote a three-part series on suicide discussing the warning signs and a simple three-step strategy of prevention, QPR. This technique saves lives.
Good resources are hard to find. These are a few I discovered that will help you cope and process your loss. Maybe you haven’t been personally affected by this worldwide tragedy, but you want to understand it better and know how to help a friend. More than likely, some day, you will be impacted by a suicide. If you’ve found other resources you would recommend, please comment and share them with us!
Grief Share Support Groups and Seminars – a 12 week, faith-based grief recovery group curriculum;DVD driven, with a notebook. Group leaders have experienced loss themselves and understand the recovery process. Participants can sign up to receive a free daily email for one year that provides inspiration, encouragement and practical resources. Find a group near you on their website. There are thousands of groups throughout the US, Canada, and over 10 other countries: griefshare.org
My husband and I took their course after my father’s death and the suicide of a dear friend’s daughter. We found it deeply healing. Your loss can be recent or years ago. It doesn’t matter. Comments from participants: “GriefShare helped me recover from my loss and begin to rebuild my life.” “It helped me simply get through each day.”
Dying to be Free: A Healing Guide for Families After a Suicide by Beverly Cobain and Jean Larch
The authors give honest, gentle advice for those who’ve survived an unspeakable loss—the suicide of a loved one. Transforming suffering into strength, misconceptions into understanding, and shame into dignity, Cobain and Larch break through the dangerous silence and stigma surrounding suicide to bring readers this much-needed book. Their achingly authentic account of dealing with the suicide of a loved one, along with personal stories from others, provide powerful insights into the confusion, fear, and guilt family members experience.
When Heaven is Silent: Live by Faith, Not by Sight by Ronald Dunn
When you’re hurting, and the cries of your heart seem to bounce off the heavens, where do you go? When you ask why and only silence answers back, what do you believe? When circumstances crush your hope, and only the darkness of pain remains, what are you going to do? Ronald Dunn takes you on a journey through the storms of life and leads you into the light and love of a Sovereign God who holds your pain and sorrow in His nail-scarred hands. Learn how to see God at work in difficult circumstances with this empathetic and insightful look at suffering and loss.
When You Lose Someone You Love by Richard M. Cromie
This book has helped thousands walk through their individual journey when someone they were close to died. This is an excerpt from the book:
“It happens soon or late: Death intrudes on every life; the moment comes for everyone when you lose someone you love. As a pastor, I am often there, and several times I have been there myself. Sometimes it comes suddenly and without warning . . . At times it comes by self-inflicted wounds . . . But it comes to everyone . . .”
It’s my prayer that through at least one of these resources you’ll find the help and hope you need. And above all else, cling to this sweet promise we’ve been given as believers in Jesus:
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)
Reblogged this on Anchor Of Promise and commented:
I cannot begin to comprehend or feel the loss of losing a loved one from suicide. I am thankful for Hope For Hurting Parents Resources in which they can help you in so many ways in dealing with that loss and find healing from your pain and help guide you through your difficult journey.