Grief in Pieces: Support for Suicide Loss

Grief in Pieces: Support for Suicide Loss is a suicide bereavement service for residents of the Northeast London boroughs of Hackney and the City of London, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Havering and Barking & Dagenham.

Grief in Pieces is part of Safe Connections: Local Support for People Facing Suicide, operated by Mind in North East London (a partnership of local Minds).  Safe Connections is an initiative of the Northeast London Suicide Prevention Partnership comprising local authorities, NHS and Mind.

Many people bereaved by suicide find that they need more specific support than that provided for bereavement in general and can find it particularly valuable to make use of support groups and other forms of support and understanding that are especially designed for people bereaved by suicide.

What help is available?

Grief in Pieces offers a range of support for people and families who have experienced the loss of a loved one, friend or colleague to suicide including:

• Grief in Pieces Support Group: co-facilitated by a mental health practitioner and a peer who has also experienced suicide loss. The group offers an opportunity to share experiences, to normalise grief reactions, and to better understand traumatic grief in a safe, inclusive, supportive environment.
• Immediate practical and emotional support following the aftermath of the loss of a loved one to suicide
• Support to access and navigate local services
• One to one crisis intervention and family support
• Outreach to individuals and families in the immediate days after the potential loss of a loved one to suicide

The Help is at Hand booklet is an additional resource for people bereaved through suicide or other unexplained death, and for those helping them

Who is Grief in Pieces for?

Grief in Pieces is a service for residents of Northeast London including Hackney and the City of London, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Havering and Barking & Dagenham.  It is available to loved ones, friends and colleagues who have lost someone to suicide.

The Grief in Pieces Support Group is designed for individuals who have been bereaved for more than 12 months, although exceptions can be made.

This service is part of the suicide prevention collaborative for Northeast London presented by Mind in North East London called Safe Connections: Local Support for People Facing Suicide.

What can a support group for suicide bereavement offer?

The Grief in Pieces support group offers:

• a confidential, empathic, nonjudgmental and safe environment
• a sense of community, understanding and support, especially at times when you feel disassociated from the rest of the world
• the opportunity to freely express yourself with others who have also experienced loss by suicide
• the hope that “normality” can be reached eventually
• support to deal with difficult anniversaries and special occasions
• learning new ways of approaching problems
• space to discuss fears and concerns
• an educational role, providing information on the grief process, facts relating to suicide and traumatic grief responses
• the exchange of practical information and how to navigate local services
• empowerment, where you can regain some control and a more positive, hopeful focus

Losing someone to suicide

Every type of grief has the potential to cause intense and complex feelings, but research shows that people bereaved by suicide can have a particularly complex set of feelings and can experience additional struggles and dilemmas in trying to resolve their grief.

Feelings you might experience when you lose someone to suicide include intense sadness, shock, anger, frustration, confusion and isolation. Some people also talk about experiencing a sense of shame or guilt, and while this is a very common reaction it is important to remember that people who take their own lives are often trying to stop feelings of distress that can feel as intense and real as physical pain – the reasons for suicide are complex and you are not to blame.