The loss of a loved one to suicide can be devastating, and healing sometimes requires the support of a skilled mental health clinician. In this two-module series, a grief therapist who specializes in working with suicide loss survivors and a mother who lost her young adult son to suicide will together describe their journey through her mourning process. This module describes the reactions and problems that are typical for most suicide loss survivors. These include the experience of trauma symptoms (e.g. shock, numbness, confusion, anger, reliving of the death scene), grief symptoms (e.g. intense sadness, yearning to have the loved one back), cognitive and social problems (e.g. confusion, shame, social isolation, a shut-down of communication about the suicide, scapegoating, and the unraveling of close family and friendship relationships), and spiritual and meaning-making issues (e.g. a struggle by the survivor to make sense of the death by answering the questions of “Why did they do this?”, “Who is responsible?”, “Who am I now?”). Throughout this module, Ms. Ladd will share examples from her own experiences in the months and years after her son’s suicide. She will also share both the immediate and longer term impact of the loss on her life as a parent, a spouse, an artist, and a professional educator. Time will also be allotted for questions and comments from the audience.
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