Surviving a Suicide Loss  |  Resource and Healing Guide
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Dear Friend,
We write to you as fellow suicide loss survivors, those who have lost 
loved ones or friends to suicide. Some of us are recent loss survivors; 
some of us lost loved ones a few years ago; and others have been 
suicide loss survivors for decades. Each of us has struggled in our 
own way with the pain and complexity of suicide loss.
We each met through the American Foundation for Suicide 
Prevention (AFSP) and are members of the AFSP Loss and Healing 
Committee, which works on behalf of suicide loss survivors 
throughout the country. Together, we have created this resource 
guide from research as well as our own experiences, hoping it 
will touch, inform, and guide you on your own journey of healing.
When survivors of suicide loss meet, there is often a painful embrace 
of shared understanding. Connecting with someone else who 
has been where you are now, and who may be further along 
in their journey of understanding, can be healing and provide 
hope. The burdens of loss and loneliness, pain and grief, anger 
and questions, sadness and guilt, belong to all of us.
When we stand together and express our emotions or experiences, 
we begin to heal. When we come together and talk, we are less 
lonely. We hear our own questions and concerns voiced aloud by 
others and feel a sense of comfort that someone understands. The 
overwhelming intensity of our painful thoughts and emotions are 
diminished when spoken and shared.
Healing is not a linear progression and our loss is not meant to be 
“overcome,” but rather integrated into our lives. Throughout our 
lives, we may have challenging times and re-experience our grief 
emotions, though hopefully less intensely; that does not mean we 
are not healing and moving forward in our journey.

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