GENERAL SUICIDE SURVIVOR GRIEF:

A Long-Shadowed Grief: Suicide and Its Aftermath, by Harold Ivan Smith

The author guides us on a spiritual exploration of suicide, probing shadows, secrets and silences, and brings us into a helpful light.

After A Suicide, Young People Speak Up, by Susan Kuklin

A variety of first-hand accounts of young people offering great insight into their experiences and reactions to a suicide death. Includes interviews with individuals who considered suicide and got help.

After Suicide, by John H. Hewett

This constructive guide offers much-needed information and clinically-tested advice for those struggling to cope in the aftermath of a suicide. Written in clear language, this book presents the facts and demonstrates how to deal with feelings of guilt, anger, bewilderment, and shame. Also included is an anniversary memorial service that enables family members to recommit themselves to life.

After Suicide Loss: Coping with Your Grief, 2nd Edition, by Bob Baugher, Ph.D. and Jack Jordan, Ph.D.

The is the second edition of this highly popular book has been expanded from 67 to 156 pages, which includes a chapter on helping children cope with a suicide loss.

But I Didn't Say Goodbye: Helping Families After A Suicide, by Barbara Rubel, MA, BCETS, DAAETS

Barbara is a keynote speaker and trainer. Three weeks prior to Barbara giving birth to triplets, her father died by suicide. The story of her dad's suicide was featured in the Emmy award-winning documentary, Fatal Mistakes: Families Shattered by Suicide

Dying to be Free, A Healing Guide for Families After a Suicide, by Beverly Cobain and Jean Larch

With extraordinary courage and compassion, the authors break through dangerous silence, complicated emotions and brutal stigma to offer this gentle, healing guide for family members who have lost a loved one to suicide.

Healing after the Suicide of a Loved One, by Ann Smolin CSW and John Guinan, Ph.D.

A very informative book that provides suicide survivors with insights into the emotional responses they may be experiencing. The authors are direct and honest as they offer support, hope and permission to go on with life.

Healing the Hurt Spirit: Daily Affirmations For People Who Have Lost A Loved One to Suicide, by Catherine Greenleaf

This easy to read book speaks to survivors about the crucial stages of recovery from suicide loss, offering hope and peace of mind.

Mourning After Suicide (Looking Up), by Lois A. Bloom

The author lost her son to suicide. This easy-to-read 24-page booklet is an excellent introduction for someone newly bereaved. It normalizes the grief and the reference to spirituality is gentle and noninvasive.

Rocky Roads: The Journeys of Families Through Suicide Grief, by Michelle Linn-Gust, Ph.D.

The grief journey following a suicide loss is not a quick and easy path. Because people are unique, as are the life experiences of individuals, the road can open up in several ways for each person. No one travels the same way, Michelle Linn-Gust, also the author of "Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? Surviving the Suicide Loss of a Sibling", guides the family unit with a road map to navigate suicide grief as individuals and also as part of the family unit with the ultimate goal of strengthening the family even after a devastating suicide loss.

Seeking Hope: Stories of the Suicide Bereaved, edited by Michelle Linn-Gunst, Ph.D. and Julie Cerel, Ph.D.

A collection of fourteen people tell their stories which for many can be the best way to begin the healing process following a suicide death which has forever changed their lives.

Silent Grief: Living in the Wake of Suicide, by Christopher Lucas and Henry M. Seiden, Ph.D.

A survivor and a psychologist offer support and advice for getting past the grief—and moving on. This book also deals with the multitude of reasons people don’t talk about suicide.

Survivors of Suicide, by Rita Robinson

A variety of stories and topics related to suicide. She shatters the ten most common myths of suicide.

The Understanding Your Suicide Grief Journal, by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D.

This companion journal to Understanding Your Suicide Grief helps you explore the ten essential Touchstones for finding hope and healing your grieving hart after the suicide death of someone you loved.

The Wilderness of Suicide Grief: Finding Your Way, by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D.

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.

Touched by Suicide: Hope and Healing after Loss, by Michael F. Myers and Carla Fine
In this definitive guidebook, the authors combine their perspectives as a physician and a survivor to offer compassionate and practical advice to anyone affected by suicide.

Understanding Your Suicide Grief: Ten Essential Touchstones for Finding Hope and Healing Your Heart, by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D.

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.

Voices of Healing and Hope, Conversations on Grief after Suicide, by Iris Bolton

Iris Bolton has spent the last forty years comforting and encouraging grieving persons after a suicide death. This comprehensive book is a culmination of her work: multiple stories of profound loss, sensitive, practical and authentic.

Why People Die By Suicide, by Thomas Joiner

Under what conditions can a person becomes suicidal? His comprehensive theory, integrates science and tragedy, describes how a person works up to suicide by overcoming the fear of death and the instinct for selfpreservation. His father died by suicide in 1990.

Why Suicide? by Eric Marcus

Answers to 200 of the frequently asked questions about suicide, attempted suicide, and assisted suicide. He offers thoughtful answers to the difficult and disturbing questions those of us who are affected by suicide struggle with. His father, age 44, died by suicide in 1970 and his sister, age 49, died by suicide in 2008

LOSS OF A CHILD:

A Message of Hope: For Surviving the Tragedy of Suicide, by Patricia Harness-Overley

A memoire of her journey following the suicide death of her youngest son, Brad, age 18, in 1984. She started a self-help organization for other families coping with a suicide death. She offers information and suggestions that may be helpful.

A Mother’s Reckoning, Living in the Aftermath of a Tragedy, by Sue Klebold

On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into a Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado killing 12 students and wounding 24 others before taking their own lives. Sue Klebold’s story of indescribable grief and shame ends with hard-won wisdom and compassion.

A Mother's Story, by Gloria Vanderbilt

Gloria Vanderbilt’s son died by suicide at the age of 22. Her book tells the story of his life and death, and the story of her life and struggle to live on after that death.

Ben's Story: The Symptoms of Depression, ADHD and Anxiety Disorder that Caused His Suicide, by Trudy Carlson

A mother shares the profoundly moving story of her son’s life that illustrates the symptoms of depression and anxiety disorder that led to his suicide death at age 14. The book also includes 17 pages of valuable information useful for recognizing and treating at-risk individuals.

Everything to Live For, by Susan White-Bowden

The author lost her son and husband to suicide. It is a deeply honest, courageous account of what happened and of the painful lessons that came too late to help her son, but that can surely help others. A moving and compelling book.

Finding Peace Without All The Pieces, After a Loved One's Suicide, by LaRita Archibald

A very informative book that provides suicide survivors with insights into the emotional responses they may be experiencing. The author shares her personal experience of the suicide death of her son and the insights gained by helping families for over three decades.

His Bright Light, The Story Of Nick Traina, by Danielle Steel

This famous novelist writes: “This is the story of an extraordinary boy with a brilliant mind, a heart of gold, and a tortured soul. It is the story of an illness, a fight to live, and a race against death.”

I’ll Write Your Name on Every Beach, a Mother’s Quest for Comfort, Courage, and Clarity After Suicide Loss, by Susan Auerbach

In 2013 Susan Auerbach lost her 21 year-old son, Noah, to suicide. A story of suicide lost through the lens of her personal grief and the healing practices that helped her, and experts’ perspectives. Her observations and practical advice offer hope and comfort to navigate your own painful journey towards peace.

Living With the Unimaginable, Life in the Aftermath of Murder-Suicide, by Tawna Righter

This unique resource, written by a woman bereaved by murdersuicide, not once, but twice. She shares her experience, survival techniques, resources and references.

My Son, My Son: A Guide to Healing After A Suicide in the Family, by Iris Bolton with Mitchell C. Bolton

A therapist shares the story of the suicide of her son, a compelling, powerful and informative book about suicide, grief, survival and hope that will profoundly touch the heart and provide new insights for everyone.

Prayers for Bobby - A Mother's Coming to Terms with the Suicide of Her Gay Son, by Leroy Aarons

Unable to reconcile his gay sexual orientation with his family’s religious and moral beliefs, Bobby leaped to his death from a freeway bridge in 1983. Nominated for a 1996 Lambda Literary Award, this is the story of the emotional journey that led Bobby to this tragic conclusion. But it is also the story of Bobby's mother, a fearful churchgoer who first prayed that her son would be "healed," then anguished over his suicide, and ultimately transformed herself into a national crusader for gay and lesbian youth.

Real Men Do Cry, A Quarterback's Inspiring Story of Tackling Depression and Surviving Suicide Loss, by Eric Hipple

An incredible story of tragedy and triumph. After his 15 year-old son, Jeffrey, died by suicide on April 9, 2000, Eric fell into a debilitating downward spiral. Seeking therapy for his depression he was able to make an amazing comeback. Book includes practical resources for families living with depression. (Also listed under "Male Grief").

Sanity & Grace - A Journal of Suicide, Survival and Strength, by Judy Collins
The author, singer Judy Collins, wrote this book to shed more light upon the dark taboo of suicide. The suicide of her son was devastating beyond words, yet she managed to put everything she knew or read or heard or thought about suicide into words, for her own healing as well as that of others.

Stronger Than Death, When Suicide Touches Your Life, by Sue Chance, M.D.
A psychiatrist shares the life and suicide death of her only child and her personal struggle to cope with this tragic event.

Surviving Suicide, My Journey to the Light Within, a Mother’s Story of the Loss of Two Sons, by Mary A. Scovel

Story of a loving minister’s family as they experience the deterioration and eventual suicide of their two beloved sons, Steve and Carl, both of whom were diagnosed with schizophrenia. She found peace and purpose working as an advocate for suicide prevention and leading SOS (survivors of suicide) groups. The appendices include: helpful websites, helpful tips and hints, suicide prevention information, lobbying efforts and much more.

Tell Your Story Walking: One Mother’s Legacy, A Healing Journey of Grieving, Surviving, and Thriving, by Iris Llewellyn Angle

Using journal entries, letters to her son, poetry, haiku and narrative, the author discovers the healing aspects of writing and walking. Her son, Eric, age 20, died by suicide on January 7, 1993

The Girl Behind The Door, A Father’s Quest to Understand His Daughter’s Suicide, by John Brooks

A candid, compelling story of an adoptive father’s search for the truth about the suicide death of his teenage daughter, Casey. A memoir of a family’s love and tragedy. (Also listed under "Male Grief").

The Suicide of My Son, A Story of Childhood Depression, by Trudy Carlson

After the suicide death on May 31, 1989 of her fourteen year-old son, Ben, Trudy relates his years of struggle. Mother, author and teacher, sheds light into the little-understood symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders in youngsters. She discusses various treatments, medications and resources.

The Sun Can Shine Again, A Journey Through Heartache, by Orrie Snyder

A young man’s struggle with the devastating effects of a Manic Depressive (BiPolar) Disorder gone out of control. While a suicide prevention hotline volunteer, in an attempt to help a persistent caller, found himself caught in a catastrophic web of chemical imbalance and calamitous circumstances. It became a high profile court case that received national media attention. Her son, Frank, age 33, died by suicide in prison, May 30, 1994.

When Suicide Comes Home - A Father's Diary and Comments, by Paul Cox
Paul Cox, a truck driver by trade, wrote his first book at night sitting in the cab of his truck, devastated by the suicide death of his son in 1998. This is a man’s book, emotional and candid, full of plain talk and an indomitable spirit.

LOSS OF A PARENT:

Ashes in the Ocean, A Son’s Story of Living Through and Learning from His Father’s Suicide, by Sabastian Slovin

A memoir that chronicles a son’s journey after the suicide death of Vernon Slovin, one of the best swimmers in his home country of South Africa and for a time in the world. His father died May 10, 1990 when Sabastian was six years old. It is a story of facing one’s fears and choosing a different path. (Also listed under "Male Grief").

Before Their Time: Adult Children’s Experience of Parental Suicide (1998), by Mary and Maureen Stemming

Several stories of loss, grief and resolution following a parent’s suicide death.

Crossing 13: Memoir of a Father's Suicide, by Carrie Stark Hugus
This story is a captivating coming-of-age story about a 13-year-old girl whose life is instantly altered upon finding her father dead from suicide. As she rides the emotional waves of, shock, guilt, confusion, shame, and the obsession with WHY, she begins to embrace her new normal life. Through each struggle, you share her journey of complicated grief in the aftermath of a sudden loss. This story will give you insight to what it takes for teenagers to survive the self-inflicted death of a parent and the compassion to understand and support them.

Dead Reckoning: A Therapist Confronts His Own Grief, by David C. Treadway
A mother’s suicide and how it affected her husband and four children, including the author. Through his own therapy, he comes to understand her depression and how it affected the rest of his family. This openhearted book is an inspiration for all who struggle with unresolved grief.

In Her Wake: A Child Psychiatrist Explores the Mystery of Her Mother's Suicide, by Nancy Rappaport
In 1963, Nancy Rappaport’s mother died by suicide after a bitter public divorce and custody battle. Nancy was just 4 years old and the youngest of 6 children. Growing up in a blended family of 11 children after her father remarried, Nancy was bewildered about why her mother took her own life and left her behind. Years later, encouraged by her own children’s curiosity about their grandmother and fortified by her training as a child psychiatrist, Nancy began to investigate her mother’s life and the mysteries surrounding her death.

Sons of Suicide: A Memoir of Friendship, by Richard J. Knapp and J. David Pincus

Rick and David meet in high school and soon realize they share a heartbreaking secret: Each of their mothers took her life just a few years earlier. Feeling lost and abandoned,

they bond instantly. Decades later, they learn that two other close friends had also lost parents to suicide. Over time, each of the four sons opens up about how his parent’s decision changed him and the course of his life. They soon discover that they are more than friends. (Also listed under "Male Grief").

The Best Little Girl Says Good-Bye, A Therapist Grieves, by Blanche Rosen Goodwin
In 1942, the mother of “the best little” five year old died by suicide. Now the author grieves her loss and confronts her family’s years of denied feeling enabling her to let go of a legacy of shame, secrecy and pain.

The Deafening Silence, A Memoir , by Rosemarie Manes

A father’s suicide, a mother’s indomitable strength, a 11 year-old daughter’s odyssey through the mire of rage and abandonment into a young woman’s

triumph of love.

The Gift of Second, Healing from the Impact of Suicide, by Brandy Lidbeck
Practical and clinical information to help loss survivors navigate the common

pitfalls for those left behind are included. She was ten years old when she found her mother dead in her home.

Trying to Remember, Forced to Forget, by Judy Raphael Kletter
”January 1948 I discovered my father’s dead body. As a result - and my mother trying to convince me it was just a dream – I was institutionalized - until I had to be hospitalized. Fifty-two years later, I am finally able to write about my life as a survivor.”

Voices of Strength: Sons and Daughters of Suicide Speak Out, by Judy Zionts Fox, RN, LSW and Mia Roldan

The process for this book mirrors the message that the authors’ book gives: that even when you’re faced with a difficult task, one that you don’t think you’re experienced enough or emotionally equipped to handle, you can achieve so much fulfillment from your efforts. Asking for and receiving help from others will all lead you to where you eventually want to be.

LOSS OF A SPOUSE OR PARTNER:

Dawning of a New Day, A Journey Out of Darkness, by Carolyn M. Deleon

After her disabled husband died by suicide, the author called on her Christian faith to help herself heal.

Life After Suicide, Finding Courage, Comfort & Community After Unthinkable Loss, by Jennifer Ashton, M.D.

From the Chief Medical Correspondent of ABC, an eloquent, heart- breaking, yet helpful memoir of surviving the suicide death of her ex-husband, Rob, shortly after their divorce. Her world and that of her children was shattered. A practical guide to honor the spirit of those who have died, without allowing blame, anger and resentment to take over.

No Time to Say Goodbye, Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One, by Carla Fine
The author shares her own journey of grief following the suicide death of her physician husband. She also integrates the voices of others who have endured the desolation of a loved one’s suicide.

Our Forever Angel, by Barb Scholz
Barb shares the experience of her husband’s suicide death, what worked and did not work for her to be able to survive. The techniques she used to help her children cope with their loss are extremely valuable.

Still Talking, by Joan Rivers with Richard Meryman

Rivers shares her professional life and personal life with husband, Edgar, who died by suicide in 1987.

LOSS OF A SIBLING:

An Empty Chair, Living In The Wake Of A Sibling’s Suicide, by Sara Swan Miller

This book is based on the stories of eighteen women and fifteen men who share their experience with the suicide death of a sibling. The author, a psychologist, wrote this book after the suicide death of her sister.

Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? Surviving the Suicide Loss of a Sibling, by Michelle Linn-Gust, M.S. Regardless of age, sibling suicide survivors, the forgotten mourners, will find identity, comfort and encouragement in this poignant recount of the author’s grief journey following her sister’s suicide.

Living Beyond the Why, by Dr. Bridgette Everhart Hardin

Living Beyond the Why is more than just a book about loss and grief; it's a book about living a life beyond the sting of your loved one's suicide and living a life that goes beyond the question of why. As you read through this book, you will travel through key moments of Dr. Hardin's personal grief journey after losing her brother to suicide.

Surviving Bill, by Mike Reynolds
As a survivor of his brother’s suicide, the author knows the pain and confusion attached to loss and the immeasurable ways it changed his life. Going beyond the typical narratives on the five stages of grief, on religion or on counseling, this book shares those “ordinary” moments in his life that moved his healing forward, be they relationships, synchronistic moments or even his love of surfing. (Also listed under "Male Grief").

The Forgotten Mourners: Sibling Survivors of Suicide, by Magdaline DeSousa, aka John’s Sister

Anyone who has lost a brother or sister to suicide often find themselves in the shadow of their parent’s grief. This book discusses the many distinct challenges siblings face. The author’s brother, John, age 18, died by suicide in 2001.

Healing the Adult Sibling's Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas After Your Brother or Sister Dies, by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D

Compassionate and heartfelt, this collection offers 100 practical ideas to help understand and accept the passing of a sibling in order to practice self-healing. The principles of grief and mourning are clearly defined, accompanied by action-oriented tips for embracing bereavement. Whether a sibling has died as a young or older adult or the death was sudden or anticipated, this resource provides a healthy approach to dealing with the aftermath.

MALE GRIEF:

I Keep Trying to Catch His Eye - A Memoir of Loss, Grief and Love, by Ivan Maisel

In this deeply emotional memoir, a longtime ESPN writer reflects on the suicide of his son Max and delves into how their complicated relationship led him to see grief as love.

Ashes in the Ocean, A Son’s Story of Living Through and Learning from His Father’s Suicide, by Sabastian Slovin

Real Men Do Cry, A Quarterback's Inspiring Story of Tackling Depression and Surviving Suicide Loss, by Eric Hipple

Sons of Suicide: A Memoir of Friendship, by Richard J. Knapp and J. David Pincus

Rick and David meet in high school and soon realize they share a heartbreaking secret: Each of their mothers took her life just a few years earlier. Feeling lost and abandoned,

The Girl Behind The Door, A Father’s Quest to Understand His Daughter’s Suicide, by John Brooks

When A Man Faces Grief/A Man You Know is Grieving, by James E. Miller and Thomas R. Golden

James E. Miller is a clergyman, grief counselor, writer and photographer. Thomas Golden is a practicing psychologist and writer. This is two books in one: one half is for men who are grieving, with 12 helpful suggestions, each a chapter by itself. The other half is for those who want to understand and help men who are grieving, also in 12 short, helpful chapters.

RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN:

After a Parent’s Suicide: Helping Children Heal, by Margo

Requarth
This is a “how-to” guide for parent survivors: how to manage both the immediate and long-term implications of suicide, how to talk to your children, how to see them through the heart-rending anguish to a place of acceptance, healing and, finally, a renewed and deepened capacity for joy.

After a Suicide: An Activity Book for Grieving Kids by The Dougy Center

In this hands-on, interactive workbook, children who have been exposed to a suicide

can learn from other grieving kids. The workbook includes drawing activities, puzzles, stories, advice from other kids and helpful suggestions for how to navigate the grief process after a suicide death.

Buttons and the Butterfly by Judy Foy

Buttons and the Butterfly is a heartwarming picture book that tells the story of a puppy named Buttons, and Casey, a caterpillar. When Casey's life as a caterpillar comes to an end, Buttons is heartbroken. Meanwhile, Casey transforms into a butterfly. With her new ability to fly, Casey is drawn to a place of wonder and beauty - Heaven. As God comforts Buttons, she learns about Casey's journey and how moments of awe give her a glimpse of heaven, where Casey is. Buttons and the Butterfly guides readers of all ages through loss and grief, reminding them that change is not an end but a beginning of something new and that God's love endures.

FAITH-BASED BOOKS:

After Shock, Help, Hope and Healing In The Wake of Suicide, by David Cox & Candy Arrington. David shares his journey after the suicide death of his father on July 17, 1967, when David was nine years old. Now as an ordained minister and counselor, he shares his work with other grievers and works with suicide bereavement support program.

Bruised & Wounded, Struggling to Understand Suicide, by Ronald Rohleiser

Father Rolheiser writes a new way of understanding death by suicide with chapters on: removing the taboo, despair as weakness rather than sin, reclaiming the memory of our loved one and much more.

Cops, Cons, And Grace, A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Suicide, by Brian Cahill

A father’s journey from the brink of utter despair after the suicide death of his first born son, John, a veteran police officer.

Finding Your Way After The Suicide Of Someone You Love, by David B. Biebel, DMin, and Suzanne L. Foster, MA

Do real Christians commit suicide? Yes, they do. This gentle and faith-affirming resource helps survivors know what to expect, especially during the first year. It includes personal stories of survivors and suggestions how to move beyond survival to live life again.

Grieving The Unexpected, The Suicide Of A Son, by Dr. Gary LeBlanc. As a former family therapist and Christian, he shares his family’s struggle to confront

the feelings and questions after the suicide death of his son, Sean.

Quiet Strength, the Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life, by Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker

In his memoir, Dungy share his life on the football field and Christian faith that sustained his family before and after the death of his son, Jamie, age 18, December 22, 2005.

She Never Said Good-bye, One Man’s Journey Through

Loss, by Robert Dykstra

“In 1984, a week following Thanksgiving Day, Yvonne, my wife of thirty years, took her own life. She gave me no perceptible warnings; she left no notes. . . Few are skilled enough to deal with grief. . . Even we pastors, ministers of the Word, are miserable comforters.”

Out of the Shadow, Responding to Suicide, by Aidan Troy

A Catholic priest in Ireland offers some tentative suggestions and observations born of his forty years of pastoral work with families experiencing the aftermath of a suicide death.

Three Seventeen, A Suicide Loss Survivor’s Story, by Darren E. Shell

A personal story of finding his path back to God after his father died by suicide on September 29, 2006 and his friend of forty years, Kenny, also died by suicide on June 26, 2015.