In their book The Art of Condolences, Zunin and Zunin (2007) explain that one is likely to be engulfed in a rollercoaster of emotions when coping with the loss of a loved one by suicide. In essence, it can be an incredibly tough scenario dealing with such a huge loss as people try to establish why the deceased took their life.
Nonetheless, one has to wake up and handle the grief moment both carefully and confidently. Here are the things you can do any moment you are coping with the loss of a loved one by suicide:
Accept what you are feeling
Losing a loved one by suicide leaves a lot of unanswered questions. At times, you may be forced to take your mind for a ride trying to establish why they took their life. Whether you will remain sober or a little bit shaky, just accept what you will be feeling at the moment. It is upright to develop such feelings.
Keep yourself and your family protected
Don’t overthink. This is not the moment to let your emotions take the better part of you. Eat well, take adequate sleep and exercise. These healthy habits will help you get through the heinous occurrence and carry on with life.
Never take regrettable steps when coping with the loss of a loved one by suicide. Take it one day at a time. Focus on starting with small tasks as you gather energy to deal with the complex ones. Slowly by slowly, you’ll realize that what looked like a mountain is slowly turning into something you can deal with.
Appreciate that the departed soul’s life was something more precious than the suicidal act
Never take the final act that the deceased committed as the end sum of their life. Take a few moments with your gang to celebrate the many good things they did as you remember the enjoyable moments you had together. Remember to document the achievements they made then share them with the other people who loved them.
Be ready for ups and downs
The healing process never comes in a straight path. Instead, it comes with a cycle of ups and downs. While you may have the prowess to handle some days, other days will be very difficult to handle. It will be more difficult to deal with the events that mattered in the life of the deceased like birthdays, anniversaries, or a favorable song. Such moments will always stir waves of pain, sadness and possible regrets. Losing a loved one by suicide can be cumbersome to accept. However, embracing the aforementioned steps can help you deal with the tricky moment in the most diligent way. In particular, you must try a much as you can never to tough the situation out individually any time you are coping with the loss of a loved one by suicide. Reaching out to supportive grief websites like Kenya Obituaries can help you deal with this moment with great ease.
