Albert Y. Hsu wrestles with emotional and spiritual questions surrounding suicide, ultimately pointing survivors to the God who offers comfort in our grief and hope for the future. This revised edition now includes a discussion guide for suicide survivor groups.

Praise for The Unique Grief of Suicide: Questions and Hope “A gem of a book. Tom Smith is one of those unique human beings who, through a labor of love and generosity, is able to turn a personal tragedy into an opportunity to reach out and help many others. His work combines scientific data and personal feelings admirably.” —Luis A. Giuffra, MD, PhD; professor of clinical psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine “Very painful questions arise following the death by suicide of a loved one. Tom Smith’s moving book identifies and organizes these questions—a very helpful thing in itself. But more, the book provides answers and also acknowledges that some questions do not have easy answers, reflecting accurately and sympathetically the experiences of those bereaved by suicide.” —Thomas Joiner, PhD, author of Why People Die by Suicide and the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Florida State University With warmth and understanding, Tom Smith draws on his own grief following the suicide of his twenty-six-year-old daughter, Karla, and provides helpful resources and coping strategies to those grieving a suicide. Both practical and comforting, The Unique Grief of Suicide guides and educates those dealing with the different facets of suicide and offers a safe harbor within the storm of grief.

Presenting the idea of wilderness as a sustained metaphor for grief, this compassionate guide explores the unique responses inherent to the grief felt by those who have experienced the suicide of a loved one and offers information about coping with such a profound loss. Likening the death of a loved one to the experience of being wrenched from normal life and dropped down in the middle of nowhere, the handbook employs 10 touchstones, or trail markers, that survivors use to begin to make their way through the new landscape. Each touchstone gently guides readers through the entire grieving process and includes topics such as dispelling misconceptions regarding suicide, exploring feelings, and embracing the uniqueness of a loss.

Someone you know and love has died. You feel the emptiness and sorrow of loss. That alone is extremely hard. But suicide adds many other painful reactions to the heartache that death brings. Common reactions are feelings of anger, guilt, betrayal, and many, many unanswerable questions. This is one of life's broken, dark experiences in ...

A suicide leaves behind more victims than just the individual. And yet there are very few professional resources that provide the necessary background, research, and tools to effectively work with the survivors. This edited volume addresses the need for an up-to-date, professionally oriented summary of the clinical and research literature on the impact of suicide bereavement on survivors.

Explaining the important difference between grief and mourning, this book explores every mourner's need to acknowledge death and embrace the pain of loss. Also explored are the many factors that make each person's grief unique and the many normal thoughts and feelings mourners might have. Questions of spirituality and religion are addressed as well. The rights of mourners to be compassionate with themselves, to lean on others for help, and to trust in their ability to heal are upheld. Journaling sections encourage mourners to articulate their unique thoughts and feelings.

If you have experienced the death of a loved one from suicide, this book is for you. With contributions of many people who have been through the experience and two Psychologists who have helped hundreds of people bereaved by suicide, this book takes the reader through the first few days, weeks, months and years.