… that my heart has been ripped open.  It’s the place I learned to say the name of my vibrant daughter, Jenine, out loud, choking and sobbing at first, but acknowledging her suicide, her existence. I like that there is no requirement to attend so many sessions.  I have attended off and on (more often, ‘on’) for 6 years as the seasons of my grief evolve.  We just listen, we don’t judge each other.  We are so different, each one of us, and suffer uniquely yet share this one terrible, unhinging loss. I come back again and again for strength against the silence around suicide.  There is silence in our group, but it’s a respectful silence, heavy with understanding.  It fills me with compassion to hear each survivor’s story: full of confusion, doubt, pain, love, anger or shame.  I come away with some compassion to spare… stored up for when I need to be gentle with myself.The challenge is not “getting over” this loss, it is living with it. SF Survivors of Suicide helps me with this, reminding me through others that I’m not alone or losing my mind or any of the other irrational fears that may haunt us.  Rather I’m gaining resilience and, on those toughest days, I have more faith that I will survive and feel differently when the sun rises tomorrow.” – Camille Palmerino Clifford

…  in the grief of having lost a dear friend, I can talk about things with group members that some others would not necessarily understand, I have felt supported and held in my various emotions and am very thankful that the group exists.LauraThank be to the Divine Creator (and Janet Schreiber) for the SOS group. When suicide touches your life, it’s like your emotional body just got hit by a speeding bus. And you better believe you will need somewhere to go to process the complicated emotions around it, and not just once or twice. It is likely you will need the support of this group on an ongoing basis. There is some comfort to be had from being with others who are going through their own experience with it. You can talk, or you can not talk, you can cry, you can be as upset as you need to be about it without anyone prompting you to “get over it” “move on” or “stop dwelling on it.”

The group is enormously valuable to help us feel our way back from a particularly devastating episode to once again be able to take up where we left off with our own lives. Because once you are affected by suicide, life seems to divide itself into “before” and “after” the incident.” – Dianne D.

… I was a Master’s student studying grief and loss counseling, as part of the practicum requirement. Some time before, I had been affected by the suicide of my former husband, the father of my children. In the SOS group, I found help resolving my feelings. Through listening to others and being heard, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of suicide and its effect on survivors. It is now clear to me that dealing with my grief about Dave’s suicide led me to change my life in a powerfully positive direction. I credit SOS with helping me on that path.” – Sherry King

… I came to the conclusion that I could either be “taken down” by this tragedy or choose to “rise up” and become strong and resilient. I chose the latter and the first step was to attend SOS meetings. What a wise choice in my overwhelming grief. You see, I’m not much of a “joiner,” but being among others who understand and have suffered their own suicide grief has helped me resolve feelings that I would have stuffed away and late imploded. These people are non-judgmental, honor privacy, actively listen and share the insights they have acquired through this loss and pain. I am so grateful to be part of this amazing group twice a month.” – Cheryl Brown

… in the grief of having lost a dear friend, I can talk about things with group members that some others would not necessarily understand, I have felt supported and held in my various emotions and am very thankful that the group exists. – Laura

… Three weeks after his death I attended my first SOS session.  It was my first experience with a support group and was far more helpful than I could have imagined.  Sharing my pain and bewilderment with people who were similarly wounded helped me find my way through a dense dark tangle of grief and confusion.  The practical information and profound insights exchanged with my fellow survivors was vital in helping me – and my family – discover how to carry on after our shattering loss. It’s been 19 months now, and I cannot yet see a time when I will not want to continue to participate in this group. – Dee Peters

…with the group.  I benefit a lot from reading how the other members deal with their feelings and how I can apply them in my life.  Thank you so much for starting this group.  I have attended the meetings, however I do not like driving at night and the winter months are difficult for me because of my age…so thank you again and I pray and hope that this website will help others as it has helped me with the suicide of my daughter… – Eva