• Clip
• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a child >> Amanda - Interview 5 >> Amanda said that she found regular meetings with a psychotherapist challenging and very helpful. Sometimes she went twice a week. She paid for the the

In 2005 Amanda’s son, Lori, took his own life. He was 21. Amanda thinks that sexual abuse may have been a reason for his suicide. She has found support via family, friends, church, internet [POS], Compassionate Friends, Papyrus, and psychotherapy.

• Dying & bereavement >> Bereavement due to suicide >> Lost a child >> Helen - Interview 6 >> Helen’s daughter Charlotte often felt depressed. She took cannabis and heroin and died of a heroin overdose.

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 >> 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 >> 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 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 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 child >> Margaret - Interview 40 >> Margaret found an article about post-traumatic stress. It gave her ‘permission’ for wanting to be alone. She found conversations with people too painf

Margaret’s daughter was in prison when she took her own life. Margaret was shocked by the news. The inquest found that there had been a lack of care while her daughter was in prison. Margaret found support from her dog, friends, SOBS & a counsellor.