How to Talk to a Friend Who Has Lost Someone to Suicide

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCommon Reactions to SuicideWorrisome Signs and SymptomsHow to Offer Your Support

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Common Reactions to Suicide

Worrisome Signs and Symptoms

How to Offer Your Support

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Comforting a friend who has lost someone tosuicidecan be difficult. You might not know what to say or do, how they’re feeling, or how to be with them in their process. Rather than avoiding the person, it’s crucial to remain connected and communicative. Here’s how.

Information presented in this article may be triggering to some people. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Information presented in this article may be triggering to some people. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Press Play to Learn More About Suicide & Suicidal Ideation

Common Reactions to a Loved One’s Suicide

According toMarianne Goodman, MD, a professor of psychiatry at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and director of the JJPVA Suicide Prevention Clinical and Research Program, your loved one is likely to experience:

Remember that everyone experiences grief differently. Some people jump right into depression after the initial shock. Others mask their grief to the point of seeming unaffected.

What to Say to Someone Who Is Suicidal

Signs and Symptoms That May Warrant Help

According to Goodman, a loved one’s suicide can also trigger these symptoms and conditions in survivors:

If you notice any of these, encourage your friend to seek professional help.

How to Create a Suicide Safety Plan

These are some ways to support a loved one who has lost someone to suicide.

How You Can Help Someone Who Is Suicidal

The Takeaways

If your friend has lost a loved one to suicide, they’re probably experiencing a range of painful emotions such as shock, denial,grief, anger, betrayal, guilt, shame, loneliness, and helplessness.

Reaching out to your friend, expressing your support, and spending time with them can help them know they can count on you and share their feelings without judgment.

Keep in mind that your friend may experience distressing symptoms, thoughts of suicide, and mental health conditions as a result of their loved one’s suicide. Help them feelsupportedand less alone, be on the lookout for feelings and actions that seem inappropriate, and encourage them to seek professional help if their grief interferes with daily life.

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Tal Young I, Iglewicz A, Glorioso D, et al.Suicide bereavement and complicated grief.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2012;14(2):177-186. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2012.14.2/iyoung

Bellini S, Erbuto D, Andriessen K, et al.Depression, hopelessness, and complicated grief in survivors of suicide.Front Psychol. 2018;9:198. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00198

Eng J, Drabwell L, Stevenson F, King M, Osborn D, Pitman A.Use of alcohol and unprescribed drugs after suicide bereavement: a qualitative study.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(21):4093. doi:10.3390/ijerph16214093

Kučukalić S, Kučukalić A.Stigma and suicide.Psychiatr Danub. 2017;29(Suppl 5):895-899.

American Psychological Association.Coping after suicide loss.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.10 ways to support a loved one who has lost someone to suicide.The University of Texas at Austin: Counseling and Mental Health Center.Helping a student who has lost a friend or family member to suicide.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.10 ways to support a loved one who has lost someone to suicide.

The University of Texas at Austin: Counseling and Mental Health Center.Helping a student who has lost a friend or family member to suicide.

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