As a widow I have travelled the ups and downs of grief. I’ve always found the holidays hard and do I dare say even annoying. Suicide during the holidays is a real possibility and something we need to be aware of – not only in others but also in ourselves.
For some of us widows it goes further into the darkness and they feel hopeless. To me “hopeless” is a loss of all control and that is where we really need to seek professional advise.
If you find yourself feeling so totally lost and “hopeless” please call 988. It is the Suicide Help Line in Canada and the United States.
It’s 24/7 and you get a real person that lives as close to your area as the system can find.
In my life I have experienced seven family members and friends that have fallen into the “hopeless” pit and committed suicide. It is a moment in time that can never be undone. Suicide during the holidays happens because we are alone and hopeless.
Please, please don’t fall into that pit. Instead call 988 and someone will help lead you off the edge.
YouTube video I did “Thinking About Suicide” back on February 25, 2019
To Our Shared Journey,
Mary Francis is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, Certified Law of Attraction Facilitator, Early Intervention Field Traumatology (EIFT) and Author/Founder of “The Sisterhood of Widows”
Caroline
Feel heart broken about the grief you experienced. I know it is really hard and am so thankful that I have escaped such pain. Thanks for sharing such an important topic!
Cheryl
I appreciate your posts. My husband of 43 years ended his life by GSWTTH in our home during holidays, 12/27/17. He’d had a relatively minor surgery a few months before, that went wrong, and he never had a painfree day after. He was 5 wks to retirement. His note said he no longer could bear that horrible pain. I think he waited til after our ‘last’ family Christmas celebration with our sons and grandchildren. I can no longer put up a Christmas tree or enjoy the traditions we always did. Holiday loss is especially hard, then further compounded by the deep grief and sadness that follows. I will never recover.