You may or may not know that November 18th is Survivor Day. Don’t know what that is? The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention details it here. The short version? It’s a day of remembrance and support for the people who have suffered the death of a loved one due to suicide.
There are many things I would have done differently in the days and months after Luke’s death and there were many things I wished others would have done differently as well. I can’t tell you how many uncomfortable, and outright inappropriate questions, I was asked in the days after his death.
As I was reading about events for Survivor Day, this article popped up and it couldn’t be more spot on. As you’re preparing to attend these events, see posts tomorrow or just grow your knowledge in general, read this. It details what to say, and what not to say, when speaking to suicide survivors:
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Don’t ask details about the death.
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Don’t pretend everything is normal or that nothing happened.
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Share positive memories of the deceased.
Read the full article here for more and learn how to best support survivors tomorrow and every day.