Let’s Talk About Suicide

30 Oct 2019

Ep 11 – Supporting a Person Who Has Lost Someone to Suicide – Part 1

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In this episode and the next one we talk about how you can support a person who has lost someone to suicide. Many people have been touched by suicide so it is important to know how to give that support. If you have lost someone, you might identify with some of the helpful and not-so-helpful ways that people try to help. It is likely that you are also supporting other people during this time.

Just having the right words can be hard for some people, but there are some really simple things to say and do in this situation. It is important to be mindful of things that are not helpful to say, particularly around the “how” and the method. It is also important to be careful not to make judgements about the person who died. What you can do to really help someone who is grieving is to reach out and show that person you support them in an appropriate way.

Joe introduces the concept of the circle of support – the amount of support that you are able to give somebody depending on who you are supporting, your relationship to that person, and also your relationship with the person who died.

This discussion continues in the next episode.

Listening to this podcast may raise issues for you and if this is the case we would encourage you to contact one of the following services in Australia:

Qlife: 1800 184 527
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
Lifeline: 13 11 14