The 50 year-old American Association of Suicidology’s  (AAS) mission is, in brief, developing strategies to prevent suicide,  advancing education and scholarly work around suicide and, promoting research about and training in suicide. Edwin Schneidman, Ph.D., the founding President of AAS, said:

Survivors of suicide represent the largest mental health casualties related to suicide.

Of course, this is heartbreakingly true. Suicide leaves a wake of complicated grief and trauma. It is a hero’s journey to work through the emotional undertow and dig out of the dark hole to rebuild a shattered live.

The taboo has been broken. You are knee-deep in loss, shock and whirling feelings. It seems insurmountable. Your grief is debilitating; your pain is off-the-charts. It’s hard to breathe. You hold the thought of the very thing that has broken you as a possible way to end your own pain.

For your consideration, here is a link that you might find helpful about being a of a suicidal loss and another link about understanding the grief of suicide.

Go gently. It takes time. There will be a day when you can take a deep breath.