Linda Falasco
09 April 2024
32m 51s
Navigating Next Steps in the Wake of Suicide Loss
00:00
32:51
Mending Piece by Piece
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains depictions of death and suicide. We understand that some may find these activating and/or disturbing. Please check the show notes for more detailed descriptions and additional resources. If you or someone you love is struggling with thoughts of suicide please call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
After the loss of a loved one, there is so much to do. From making the calls, contacting a funeral home, making the arrangements and so much more. It is difficult no matter how old you are or how many funerals you have been to, but when you are younger and this is one of your first funerals it can be extremely overwhelming.
This week the story continues as I share the next few days after my brother Jeff passed away. After losing a sibling the family as I knew it was gone. I was facing the realization that I just lost the parents I once knew and trying to step up and take care of everything. Trying to protect them from more hurt and in a naive way "not cause any more pain" by sharing my hurt.
Having a loved one take their own life adds other dynamics to the grief journey that cause deeper pain, shame, and stigma. Working with a funeral director who was ignorant and rude was just the beginning. Then when at the church it really set in after hearing a priest say "we don't do funerals for people who commit suicide". It was like a punch in the gut, causing a sense of shame and belief that I shouldn't be allowed to grieve.
As if that wasn't enough on my plate I now had to work on getting my 15-year-old brother out of jail and back home. The emotions are building up and I erupt in not the best place to lose control.
This episode will include:
(3:35) Unhelpful things we say
(5:55) Telling my brother Michael
(11:02) Making final arrangements
(15:25) Welcome to stigma & shame
(19:30) Grief & the family
(24:20) Emotions finally erupt
(28:16) Another crazy event to handle
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Mending Piece By Piece After A Suicide Loss: Guided Grief Workbook & Journal to Heal the Survivor's Heart
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Mending Piece By Piece: A Workbook & Journal for Navigating Grief with Hope
Amazon:
Barnes & Noble:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
National Alliance on Mental Illness: https://www.nami.org/Home
Suicide Awareness Voices of Education: https://save.org/