Suicides (IN: The Worst Loss: how Families Heal From the Death of a Child, by B D Rosof)

This chapter considers issues that affect parents whose child has died by suicide. Unique problems such as feeling like the worst failure, feeling personally rejected, & stigma are discussed. Things which help, for example, talking with each other, dealing with the question of responsibility for the suicide, reaching out to other people, & marking the anniversary of the death, are reviewed. Ambiguity & silence are discussed as things which hinder resolution. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of how parents have noted that the pain of their child’s suicide does gradually decrease & that hope for their lives returns.