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Sadly in England every two hours someone dies by suicide.
It is unlikely that any other bereavement will have prepared you for the intense feelings and emotions that you are probably experiencing at the moment. No parent expects to outlive their child. Knowing their death was self-inflicted just makes this profound loss even harder to accept.
The pain may seem too hard to endure at first and trying to cope from day to day can be overwhelming. Going over and over what has happened can leave you totally exhausted and it is very easy to find yourself spiralling down into deep depression until you learn ways of coping. Though hard to admit to many bereaved parents often experience suicidal thoughts themselves. If negative thoughts start to take up more and more of your time, please seek help from your doctor without delay.
For sometime to come, the early hours of the morning can be especially difficult to get through. Talking to The Samaritans may help during these bleak hours.
The Samaritans National Helpline Number
08457 90 90 90
Men and women cope with their grief in quite different ways, so it is not always possible for parents to support one another or even talk about what has happened. Feeling isolated, even within the family is therefore quite common. Over time, as support from friends and extended family naturally starts to dwindle, you may be left feeling as if you have no one to talk to about your child. Many parents (predominately mothers) have found that going to a support group and being able to talk or simply listen to other people's experiences is helpful and worthwhile.
There are many stages to get through with a suicide bereavement and sometimes you can be left feeling you are getting nowhere. It is at these times when just talking to another survivor can be of help. We can be contacted on:
01252 695599
Organisations offering helplines and ongoing support can be found on our contacts page