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• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a child >> Felicity - Interview 2 >> The Cruse counsellor was a great source of support. Felicity saw her regularly for about a year after Alice died and she became a real friend.

Felicity and Alex had a daughter, Alice. She had depression as a teenager, and was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In 2004, at the age of 22, she took her own life. Felicity has found support from family, friends, her GP and Cruse.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a partner, husband or wife >> Patricia - Interview 4 >> A priest helped Patricia when Andrew was missing. He offered friendship and informal counselling. After Andrew died she talked to someone from Cruse.

Patricia’s husband, Andrew, had had depression for years. A number of times he had taken an overdose or tried to gas himself and then sought help. In 1994 he died in a car, due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Patricia found support via Cruse & SOBS.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a partner, husband or wife >> Lucy - Interview 38 >> Darrell asked the GP to refer him for talking therapy and told the GP that he would not take tablets, but she insisted on writing a prescription inste

Lucy’s partner, Darrell, committed suicide in 2005. He drove his car in front of a train. He had been depressed but his suicide was a complete shock to Lucy. She has found support through family and friends and via an online group, Widowed by Suicide.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a child >> Brenda - Interview 12 >> Friends were a great support to Brenda after her son died in intensive care. A friend also helped her husband. They did not want professional counsell

In 2005 Brenda’s 21-year-old son sadly died in ICU. He had been depressed for some time and had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Now Brenda focuses as much as she can on remembering the good memories they all shared as a family.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a child >> Maurice - Interview 14 >> After Tom died Maurice and Jane supported each other. Maurice found he could talk to colleagues at work about what had happened. He did not want forma

In 1984 Maurice and Jane’s son Tom took his own life by hanging. Jane and Maurice were shocked and devastated. Maurice found most support from friends and colleagues. The local vicar has also been helpful.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a partner, husband or wife >> Melanie - Interview 21 >> Melanie’s GP, who she has seen every fortnight, has been a “tower of strength”. She did not ‘click with’ the first counsellor she saw but has subseque

In 2006 Melanie’s husband, Simon, took his own life while the “balance of his mind was disturbed.” He jumped to his death. Melanie and her three young children were devastated. They have found help via counselling, support groups and the internet

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a brother or sister >> Jasvinder - Interview 18 >> Jasvinder did not want to take antidepressants. She found counselling helpful because her counsellor was impartial, objective and offered unconditiona

Jasvinder’s sister, Robina, died in 1987 from burns. She had an unhappy marriage and told her husband she was going to take her own life. Jasvinder has kept her sister’s memory alive by setting up Karma Nirvana, a project that advocates for Asian people.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a brother or sister >> Kavita - Interview 33 >> Kavita explains what happened when she had psychotherapy. She could talk about her feelings and about her relationship with her brother.

Kavita’s brother was 30 years old when he jumped to his death. He had been feeling suicidal for some time. Kavita felt “shattered” and desperately wanted help. She had counselling with a psychotherapist and found that SOBS was a “lifesaver”.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a partner, husband or wife >> Marion - Interview 32 >> When Marion was “at rock bottom” her GP arranged for her to see a counsellor. Counselling, once a fortnight for three years, helped her to “put her li

Marion’s husband took his own life in 1996. He had taken alcohol and analgesics and died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Marion and their four children were shocked and devastated. They found support from SOBS, professional counselling and Noah’s Ark.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a partner, husband or wife >> Paula - Interview 28 >> Paula’s GP arranged counselling for her, paid for by the NHS. She preferred to be asked questions and did not find it helpful when the counsellor ‘jus

Paula’s husband had been depressed for a number of years. In 2005 he took his own life by hanging. This was a huge shock to Paula. She had weekly counselling for 6 months. Since then she has also found the WAY foundation very helpful and supportive.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a child >> Linda - Interview 35 >> A woman from the crisis management team gave Linda useful advice. Linda was also referred to a psychologist, who helped her to come to terms with Chlo

In 2005 Linda’s 13 year old daughter took her own life. Linda and her family were shocked. Linda still feels devastated, but more in control, and is back at work. She has found help thought a psychologist and has attended a SOBS conference.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a child >> Susan - Interview 8 >> She could talk to the counsellor in confidence and found counselling helpful. It was hard to talk to her husband after Stephen died because of feeling

Two of Susan’s sons have taken their own lives by hanging. Barry died in 1995 and Stephen died in April 2006. Susan has had support from various sources. She is still grieving but feels she must “move on” for the sake of her other children.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a child >> Dave - Interview 34 >> After Ben died, Dave had cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). He explains why he found it helpful.

Dave’s son, Ben, was aged 21 when he developed mental health problems. In 2003 Ben took his own life by crashing his car. Dave was devastated. He has found some help for his grief by seeing a psychiatrist and by going to Compassionate Friends.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a partner, husband or wife >> Stuart - Interview 22 >> Stuart explains why he found his psychodynamic counselling useful.

Stuart had been separated from his partner, Anne, for 13 months, but saw her and their son regularly. He was deeply saddened when she took her own life by carbon monoxide poisoning in 2005. He feels isolated but has found help for his grief in many ways.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a partner, husband or wife >> Dolores - Interview 29 >> After Steve died Dolores felt guilty about what had happened. She has seen a psychologist every fortnight for the past two years and has found therapy

Dolores’ husband, Steve, developed mental health problems soon after their baby was born. He fell from a bridge in 2005 and died soon afterwards. Dolores felt distraught and very sad. She has found help though a psychologist, and SOBS, and web sites.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a child >> Kate - Interview 7 >> Post-traumatic stress counselling is sometimes offered to people who have lost someone by suicide. Kate explains why she wants this type of help.

Kate’s life has been devastated by the deaths of two of her daughters. They took their own lives by hanging, in 2006 & 2007. Kate has had support from family, friends and the church and says that answering emails from members of POS has also helped.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a partner, husband or wife >> Jacqui - Interview 30 >> Jacqui had eight sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy to boost her confidence. She saw the community psychiatric nurse. The NHS paid for this.

Jacqui’s husband, Mike, had had mental health problems for some time. In 2006 Jacqui came home to find that Mike had died by suicide. He had hung himself. Jacqui has had counselling and has started her own email support group, Widowed by Suicide Support.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a friend >> Michael - Interview 16 >> Counselling did not help Michael but he did feel he needed time off work and to be able to use his own coping strategies.

Michael was aged 29 when his friend took his own life. It was in 1994 when his friend died in a fume filled garage. At the time Michael took time off work and found most support by talking to his friends and by supporting others who were grieving.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a brother or sister >> Steve - Interview 25 >> Steve had bereavement counselling through his NHS occupational health department, but he felt that only a person who had lost someone by suicide could

Steve’s sister took her own life in 2006. She stepped in front of a train. She had had mental health problems for many years but was not receiving the care she needed at the time of her death. Steve was devastated. He has found most support from SOBS.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a partner, husband or wife >> Jacqui - Interview 30 >> Months after Mike died Jacqui decided to get in touch with Cruse. It was helpful to talk about her feelings to someone specifically assigned to her fo

Jacqui’s husband, Mike, had had mental health problems for some time. In 2006 Jacqui came home to find that Mike had died by suicide. He had hung himself. Jacqui has had counselling and has started her own email support group, Widowed by Suicide Support.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a child >> Helen - Interview 6 >> The first thing the person from Cruse said to Helen was, “You can get over this, but only if you want to.” At first she thought this was harsh but lat

Helen’s daughter, Charlotte, had mental health problems. When Charlotte was 30 she was found dead in her flat. She may have taken an overdose or may have taken her own life. Helen has been well supported. She also finds comfort by helping homeless people.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a partner, husband or wife >> Paula - Interview 28 >> After Paula’s husband died, the special bereavement unit at the local hospital gave her useful advice about what to tell her five year old daughter.

Paula’s husband had been depressed for a number of years. In 2005 he took his own life by hanging. This was a huge shock to Paula. She had weekly counselling for 6 months. Since then she has also found the WAY foundation very helpful and supportive.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a partner, husband or wife >> Melanie - Interview 21 >> After Melanie’s husband died she found help through Winston’s Wish. She took the children for assessment. A counsellor told her to be as honest as pos

In 2006 Melanie’s husband, Simon, took his own life while the “balance of his mind was disturbed.” He jumped to his death. Melanie and her three young children were devastated. They have found help via counselling, support groups and the internet

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a partner, husband or wife >> Melanie - Interview 21 >> Winston’s Wish arranged a special ‘camp’ for the children and one for the adults. Melanie explains what happened during the weekend away. They all fou

In 2006 Melanie’s husband, Simon, took his own life while the “balance of his mind was disturbed.” He jumped to his death. Melanie and her three young children were devastated. They have found help via counselling, support groups and the internet

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a child >> Kate - Interview 7 >> After her girls died, Kate’s seven year old son, Hannes, was seen by someone from Jigsaw4u, who suggested that he should see a child psychiatrist.

Kate’s life has been devastated by the deaths of two of her daughters. They took their own lives by hanging, in 2006 & 2007. Kate has had support from family, friends and the church and says that answering emails from members of POS has also helped.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a partner, husband or wife >> Melanie - Interview 21 >> A CHUMS counsellor came to the home and saw the two older children individually. After that Melanie took the children to family sessions.

In 2006 Melanie’s husband, Simon, took his own life while the “balance of his mind was disturbed.” He jumped to his death. Melanie and her three young children were devastated. They have found help via counselling, support groups and the internet

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a child >> Susan - Interview 8 >> After Susan’s second son died she asked SeeSaw for help. Her daughter only wanted counselling two or three times, but she can have more counselling if

Two of Susan’s sons have taken their own lives by hanging. Barry died in 1995 and Stephen died in April 2006. Susan has had support from various sources. She is still grieving but feels she must “move on” for the sake of her other children.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a partner, husband or wife >> Stephen - Interview 31 >> After Gill died Stephen asked SeeSaw for help. He found their guidance invaluable. A volunteer from SeeSaw plays with the girls, or takes them out, or

In June 2006 Stephen returned home to find his wife, Gill, hanging in the hallway. She had been diagnosed with severe depression. Stephen found help from family, friends & Cruse. His daughters have been helped by the Charity, See Saw.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a child >> Susan - Interview 20 >> Susan urges professionals to listen to patients with mental illness and their relatives. When patients are desperate for help they must be seen quickl

In 2005, Susan’s daughter, Rose, took her own life. She shot herself. Rose had had anorexia and then depression, and was later thought to have bipolar disorder. Susan feels angry because she believes that NHS psychiatric services were inadequate.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a child >> Linda - Interview 35 >> When Chloe died, Linda’s other daughter was only ten. The school counsellor referred her to CAHMS, which provided counselling.

In 2005 Linda’s 13 year old daughter took her own life. Linda and her family were shocked. Linda still feels devastated, but more in control, and is back at work. She has found help thought a psychologist and has attended a SOBS conference.