Resources - send us your suggestions and we'll add them!
We are often asked about support groups specific to the person you lost; parent, child, spouse, etc. We recently noticed that AFSP includes nation-wide groups in its listing of support groups and some are organized by type of loss. HERE is a link to a listing of support groups in the greater Western Washington area plus those nation-wide groups, current as of 5/1/2023.
Resources:
Camp Erin - Bereavement camp for children who have lost a significant person in their lives
Dougy Center - Grief support for children and families
Centre for the Grief Journey - Videos and books, some free, some paid content
EMDR Therapy - This searchable list will show you where to find an EMDR certified therapist
Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland has grief & bereavement programs not specific to suicide
Friends for Survival was created by two women who each lost a son to suicide
Forefront - Suicide Prevention program at University of Washington
Grief.com is a site from David Kessler who coauthored 2 books with Elisabeth Kubler Ross including “On Grief and Grieving”
The Healing Center Seattle - Offers grief support for children and families
Healing to the Max - Therapeutic grief support groups for parents who have lost a child to suicide and for youth and teens (ages 11-19) who have lost a family member or friend to suicide.
International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day the Saturday before Thanksgiving
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - If you're in crisis dial 988
Refuge In Grief is the website of Megan Devine, author of “It’s OK that you’re not OK”. Check out her video on how to help a grieving friend.
“Tear Soup” - A Youtube video of someone reading this book
Crisis Connections (formerly the Crisis Clinic) Resources
24-Hr Crisis Line - 866-4-CRISIS (866-427-4747)
WA Recovery Helpline - 866-789-1511 (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
CC Cares provides care packages and companion mentors matched by type of loss (parents who have lost a child paired with another parent, etc.)
King County 2-1-1 Provides referrals, offers advice on how best to get help, they are experts on food, shelter, housing, rent, and utility assistance, legal assistance, financial assistance, governmental assistance programs, health care, employment, education and family support programs. Dial 2-1-1 or 800-621-4636
TEEN LINK - 866-833-6546 (evenings 6-10 pm)
Veterans Crisis Line: 800-273-8255 and press 1
Books
Dying to be Free by Beverly Cobain & Jean Larch - Beverly is a survivor of multiple suicides in her family including her cousin, Kurt Cobain of the band Nirvana. Her account of her own thoughts of suicide is haunting and revealing.
I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye by Brook Noel & Pamela D. Blair, PhD - This book is about bereavement and not just suicide loss. It has information about grieving after sudden and traumatic loss.
It’s OK that you’re not OK: Meeting grief and loss in a culture that doesn’t understand by Megan Devine
Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide by Kay Redfield Jamison
No Time to Say Goodbye - Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One by Carla Fine
After Suicide Loss, Coping with your Grief by Jack Jordan and Bob Baugher
Coping with Grief, a guide for the bereaved survivor by Bob Baugher - While this book is not about suicide grief specifically (for that see above), it’s in an easy to digest format of a “grief reaction” on the left page and suggestions for coping on the right page. We think this is an excellent booklet, particularly for the recently bereaved.
Silent Grief: Living in the wake of suicide by Christopher Lukas & Henry M. Seiden
Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations for Working Through Grief by Martha Whitmore Hickman
Grieving a Suicide: A Loved One's Search for Comfort, Answers & Hope by Albert Y. Hsu
Dare to Forgive by Edward M. Hallowell, MD - The title of chapter 1 is “Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself”. This is not about forgetting or thinking that what happened is OK.
Upside: The New Science of Post-Traumatic Growth by Jim Rendon
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
My Son…My Son: A guide to healing after death, loss, or suicide by Iris Bolton
Send My Roots Rain: A companion on the grief journey by Kim Langley
A Buddhist Grief Observed by Guy Newland
Ambiguous Loss: Learning to live with unresolved grief by Pauline Boss
The beauty of what remains: How our greatest fear becomes our greatest gift by Steve Leder
The unspeakable loss: How do you live after a child dies? by Nisha Zenoff
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
A Heart that Works by Rob Delaney
The Grieving Brain: The surprising science of how we learn from love and loss by Mary-Francis O’Connor
Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander
Peer Support and Care Packages for the Recently Bereaved
Crisis Connections (formerly Crisis Clinic) “CC Cares” can provide care packages for the bereaved and they have a companion program which matches mentors who have had a similar loss for phone support.
Ideas for Honoring a Loved One (from AFSP website)
There is no right or wrong way to honor your loved one. Here are some ideas:
Plant a tree in their memory.
If you can afford it, donate a park bench, or engrave a plaque with your loved one's name.
Write about your loved one. If you wish, share it in a way that feels right to you.
Ask your loved one's relatives, friends, or co-workers to contribute their favorite memories or photos, and use them to make a scrapbook or memory box. This can help you to celebrate your loved one’s life while giving others a chance to get involved, too.
Cook your loved one's favorite meal, participate in activities they liked, listen to music they enjoyed, or read a book that reminds you of them.
The best way to honor a loved one is to take care of yourself.