Death can often be accompanied with intense sorrow and shock. But voluntary death, or death by suicide, cuts even deeper. Because it’s not the way people are supposed to die. For this reason, grieving may feel impossible. There can be anger, guilt, and insufficient answers. You may feel like you can’t talk about it, and that others don’t want to hear about it. You can tell the story in the most honest and caring manner, but you’re aware of the stigma and you sense it will be received with intense analyzation and judgement. You ultimately feel like you don’t have permission to grieve, and may even feel separated from other Christians who are grieving different deaths.
There is heartache. But there is also hope.
September is Suicide Prevention Month. Join our very own Dr. Mark Vande Braak as he leads an online, educational grief support session for anyone who has dealt with the death of a loved one due to suicide or voluntary death.
This offering is part of “Dr. Mark’s Grief Support Series,” a program of year-round educational grief/loss support provided by Lutheran Family Service. Each session will focus on a different area of loss as presented by Dr. Mark, an expert with more than 30 years of mental healthcare experience in death and trauma. This is a FREE series with no registration fee. If you would like to join this session on loss through suicide or voluntary death, sign up below. Please share with anyone who may be grieving a loss of this kind.
