LOSS provides support for people coping with the shock, grief, and complex emotions that often accompany the loss of a loved one to suicide. We want you to know you are not alone and that we care.
This collection of books and articles has been curated to provide resources for those navigating the unique grief following a suicide loss. We hope this list offers you pathways to understanding, comfort, and practical coping strategies during this difficult time.
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 Suicide, by John H. Hewett. A classic book that is outstanding in describing the experience of grief after suicide and presents positive steps that can help family and friends find strength together as they readjust and return to healthy, productive living. Also included is an anniversary memorial service with a recommitment to life.
After Suicide Loss: Coping with Your Grief, by Bob Baugher, Ph.D. and Jack Jordan, Ph.D., published by Robert Baugher, Ph.D. This booklet was written to help you understand some of what you may experience during the next several months. We wrote this booklet with input from suicide survivors, the term commonly used for people who are surviving the death of a loved one to suicide. For now, surviving may seem like the hardest thing you’ve ever done in your life.
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. 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, by Catherine Greenleaf. Daily affirmations for people who have lost a loved one to suicide.
Mourning after Suicide, 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. Michelle Linn-Gust 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.
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. One of the author’s, Christopher Lucas, lost his mother to suicide.
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.
This section offers essential books and articles specifically focused on supporting children who are grieving a suicide loss. Navigating this complex grief with a child requires gentle guidance and age-appropriate language. We hope these resources provide you with the tools and understanding needed to help young people cope and heal.
After a Loved One Dies – How Children Grieve
After a Suicide Tips for Helping Children and Teens
Helping Children through Grief
Finding the Right Words: Guidelines on how to talk to grieving children about death
Helping Children Cope With Grief
Helping Infants and Toddlers Cope with Grief
Helping Children with Funerals
Helping Children Understand Cremation
Helping Grieving Children at School
Why?: A Story for Kids Who Have Lost a Parent to Suicide, by Melissa Allen Heath. In developmentally appropriate language and evocative illustrations, this picture book helps open communication about why a parent completes suicide. A reader’s note offers more information about supporting children who have lost a parent to suicide.
My Grief is Like the Ocean: A Story for Children Who Lost a Parent to Suicide, by Jessica Biles. The death of a parent is heartbreaking, but the issues surrounding suicide can be even more devastating. Written by mental health professionals who wanted to support caregivers during incredibly difficult conversations with children.
Why Did Daddy End His Life? Why Did He Have To Die?: A Suicide Bereavement Book For Children and Parents, by Samantha Pekh. For children between the ages of five and twelve years, this book provides a resource that parents and caregivers can use to support and guide their children through the difficult process of suicide bereavement.
Luna’s Red Hat: An Illustrated Storybook to Help Children Cope with Loss and Suicide, by Emmi Smid. Luna, the main character, talks with her father about why her mother died by suicide. Mental illness is described in child-friendly language. As they discuss her mother’s death, Luna expresses strong feelings. After venting her feelings, the story ends with Luna and her father sharing pleasant family memories that include her mother.
The Little Flower Bulb, by Eleanor Gormally. The main character is a little boy whose father died by suicide. The family learns to cope with the pain of their father’s death. In his memory they plant a flower bulb and care for it, awaiting its bloom after winter ends. The illustration style may be perceived by some as eerie.
After a Parent’s Suicide: Helping Children Heal, Margo Requarth. Written by a bereavement counselor who lost her mother to suicide before she was four years old, this book offers constructive, compassionate, and clear suggestions for helping children.
But I Didn’t Say Goodbye: For Parents and Professionals Helping Child Suicide Survivors, Barbara Rubel. Narrated by a child, this book is intended for adults to read and then share with children.
Someone I Love Died by Suicide: A Story for Child Survivors and Those Who Care for Them, Doreen Cammarata. An illustrated book explaining depression and suicide in child-friendly language.
The Invisible String, by Patrice Karst. To calm her children’s fears, the mother describes the love between her and them as an invisible string. Regardless of the situation, this invisible string between those you love and yourself stays connected. Illustrations are simplistic drawings without a lot of detail. This book is not suicide specific.
The Memory Box, by Joanna Rowland. From the perspective of a young child, the author artfully describes what it’s like to remember and grieve a loved one who has died. This book is not suicide specific.
Tear Soup, by Pat Schwiebert and Chuck DeKlyen. This book considers the nature of grief and how people deal with grief in different ways across time. This book is not specific to suicide.
I Can’t Believe They’re Gone, by Karen Brough. Loss is overwhelming for little hearts. Whether it’s recent or ongoing grief, your 4-8 year old needs gentle guidance to understand their big feelings. This book is not suicide specific.
Not the End: A Child’s Journey Through Grief, by Mar Dombkowski. The little girl, who is the main character, tells the reader all about how her family has grown and how life continued after her father died. The exact cause of death is not specified. This book is not suicide specific.
When Someone Very Special Dies: Children Can Learn to Cope With Grief, by Marge Heegoard. This informative workbook leads children through different drawing/writing exercises, helping children cope with the reality of death and associated grief (not suicide specific). Prompts encourage children to write information, color pictures, and draw pictures in the workbook.
If you have a teenager navigating the difficult grief after a suicide loss, these books and articles are here for you. We know how tough this is, and these resources are designed to be a supportive guide. They can help you find answers, feel validated, and discover healthy ways to move forward with your grief. We hope these resources give you some comfort and understanding on your journey.
Living when a Young Friend Commits Suicide- or Even Starts Talking About it, by Earl A Grollman and Max Malikow. In this book addressed to the young survivors of this epidemic, Earl A. Grollman, the internationally known lecturer, writer, and grief counselor, and Max Malikow, a psychotherapist and pastoral counselor, offer solace and guidance to adolescents who are confronted with someone of their own age who is contemplating or has died by suicide.
A Teenager’s Book about Suicide: Helping Break the Silence and Preventing Death, by Earl A Grollman and Joy Johnson
Losing your spouse or partner to suicide brings a unique and intense kind of grief. This selection of books and articles is specifically for you. Those who have lost their life-mate, confidant, and partner in the future. We offer these resources to help you feel less alone, understand the trauma, and find guidance for redefining your life after this devastating loss.
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.
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.
She Never Said Good-bye, One Man’s Journey through Loss, by Robert Dykstra. This book reflects the range of emotions, questions and wrestlings the author, a minister, experienced following his wife’s sudden suicide. While its central focus is grief and loss, it also explores husband/wife relationships, loving and being loved and God’s infinite mercy and pervasive grace.
Losing a parent to suicide profoundly shifts the landscape of your life, leaving you with a unique and complex grief. You may find yourself wrestling with layered emotions, all while navigating the practical changes that accompany such a foundational loss. This collection of resources is designed to offer compassionate support and provide guidance for redefining your life after the death of your mother, father, step-parent, or other caregiver.
After a Suicide, Young People Speak Up, by Susan Kuklin. A variety of stories, offering great insight into young people’s experiences and reactions to suicide.
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.
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. 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.
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.
The loss of your child, regardless of their age, is an unspeakable trauma—a shattering of the world’s natural order. Losing them to suicide introduces an unfathomable layer of pain, often leading to complex family dynamics and a profound emptiness where a lifetime of anticipated moments used to be. These resources are here to provide trauma-informed support, help you manage the acute pain of the how, and guide you in finding a way to carry your child’s memory and love forward.
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 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.
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 had leaped to his death from a freeway bridge in 1983. He left a daily diary covering the last four years of his life, and along with the companion tale of his mother, Mary, a blue-collar suburban housewife, his book was able to be written.
Sanity & Grace—A Journey 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.
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.
The loss of your sibling to suicide can be incredibly difficult. This complex grief requires you to mourn a lifelong peer while often helping your parents and family cope with their own pain. These resources provide specialized support to help you navigate this void and find ways to preserve the enduring connection you shared.
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.
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.
Still With Us: Voices of Sibling Suicide Loss Survivors, Lena M Q Heilmann. The essays in Still With Us are arranged chronologically to move the reader from the first years of grieving to decades of healing. The authors commemorate the love that they continue to have for their siblings by telling us stories of grief, support, and strength
Grief following suicide often puts unique pressure on men to process pain privately. This curated collection of books and articles provides language and perspective to help you navigate this loss, offering resources that validate your experience and redefine strength on your own terms.
Real Men Do Cry: A Quarterback’s Inspiring Story of Tackling Depression and Surviving Suicide Loss, Eric Hipple, with Dr. Gloria Horsley and Dr. Heidi Horsley. Former NFL quarterback for the Detroit Lions, Eric Hipple, candidly shares his experience of living through his fifteen-year-old son’s suicide, his own lifelong struggle with depression, and the difficult path that led him to ultimately seek treatment.
Swallowed by a Snake: The Gift of the Masculine Side of Healing, Thomas R. Golden. Written by a licensed clinical social worker, this book explores the stereotypically masculine experience of grief. In the author’s words, “[a] man reading these pages will find a book that honors the uniqueness of a man’s path toward healing. A woman reading this book will benefit not only from gaining a deeper understanding of the men in her life, she will [also] find herself in these pages.”
When a Man Faces Grief/A Man You Know Is Grieving: 12 Practical Ideas to Help You Heal from Loss, Thomas R. Golden and James Miller. This book focuses on grief in general rather than suicide grief in particular. The authors share their view of the “masculine side” of healing. The book’s format is unique: the first half provides guidance to the grieving man himself; turned upside down, the second half advises his family and friends on how best to help him. The twelve suggestions in each half of the book are practical and straightforward.
When Suicide Comes Home: A Father’s Diary and Comments, Paul Cox. A father’s perspective on the first year following his son’s suicide, this book is written in a simple, straightforward style, making it easy reading for early grief. Though written from a father’s perspective, female readers (especially spouses) have said that the book helped them to better understand the male experience of grief.
Knowing how to show up for a friend after a suicide loss is challenging, as the unique circumstances often leave people speechless. This collection of resources provides practical and empathetic information, from communication guides to specific ways you can offer non-judgmental support, to help you be the steady presence your friend needs right now.
Saying, “you know you can call me if you need anything,” is fine but not if it’s the only thing you say. Initiate.
Listen, listen, listen. Even if your friend is sharing the same memories over and over.
Say their loved one’s name.
Share memories of their loved one in the months and years to come.
Bring food that can be easily frozen and saved for later and write the date on the outside of the packaging.
Encourage choices that are being made to honor their loved one.
Try to match the emotional tone the survivor is setting. It’s okay to shed tears and it’s okay to laugh. Take their lead.
Don’t say, “I know” or “I understand” even if you are a survivor of a trauma or suicide loss. Grief is unique – this person’s relationship with their loved one was unique.
Try not to say “committed suicide.” Rather say, “died by suicide.”
Try not to ask “how are you?” That question is vague and overwhelming to someone recently bereaved. Ask specific questions, “how are you sleeping?” “Have you been able to go on one of your daily walks?”
Do admit you are fearful of saying the “wrong thing” and give the griever permission to tell you if you say something they perceive as insensitive.
Don’t ask detailed questions about why, how or if there was a note. Rather, listen without judgement if the survivor volunteers this information.
Do not share personal information your friend has shared with you. Grief is intimate and being invited into someone’s grief journey is an honor.
Whether you’ve lost someone recently or are looking for general support to help you through your healing journey, LOSS offers peer-led support groups for those bereaved by suicide. Or check out our companioning program, and receive peer-to-peer companioning with someone who has gone through a similar suicide loss.
Moving forward requires a wide variety of both practical steps and tools. This collection of books and articles covers everything from funerals, memorials, and final arrangements to spiritual resources and finding new meaning in the path forward.
Too Much Loss: Grief Overload and Its Causes
The Teeter-Totter of Resilience and Vulnerability in Grief
You Must Say Hello Before You Say Goodbye
You Must Make Friends with the Darkness Before You Can Enter the Light
You Must Go Backward Before You Can Go Forward
Mustering the Courage to Mourn
Love and Grief: In Communion and Greater Than the Sum of Their Parts
Helping Yourself Heal When Someone Loved Dies
Helping Yourself Heal During the Holiday Season
Helping Dispel 5 Common Myths About Grief
Exploring the Uniqueness of Your Suicide Grief
Healing Your Traumatized Heart: Seeking Safety, Understanding, and Peace Part 1
Healing Your Traumatized Heart: Seeking Safety, Understanding, and Peace Part 2
Healing Your Grieving Body: Physical Practices for Mourners
Dispelling the Misconceptions About Suicide and Grief and Mourning
Will I Befriend My Feelings Or Will I Deny, Repress, Or Inhibit Them?
Will I Grieve Or Will I Mourn?
A Long-Shadowed Grief: Suicide and Its Aftermath, Harold Ivan Smith. Written from a Christian perspective, this book by a former funeral director who survived his cousin’s suicide explores the aftermath of suicide through the lenses of spirituality and theology.
Finding Your Way after the Suicide of Someone You Love, David B. Biebel, D.Min., and Suzanne L. Foster, M.A. Co-authored by a loss survivor and a minister, this book looks at the experience of suicide bereavement from a Christian perspective.
From the Ashes Flies the Phoenix: Creating a Powerful Life after a Suicide, Gretta Krane. The survivor of her husband’s suicide, Krane shares her journey with the hope that it will inspire others to find self-discovery, growth, and hope in the aftermath of suicide loss.
Healing the Hurt Spirit: Daily Affirmations for People Who Have Lost a Loved One to Suicide, Catherine Greenleaf. Written by a longtime survivor of multiple suicide losses, this non-denominational book encourages survivors to explore their grief through a series of simple readings and daily affirmations.
Take the Dimness of My Soul Away: Healing after a Loved One’s Suicide, William A. Ritter. Reverend Ritter shares a moving collection of his sermons and notes following his son’s death by suicide. Throughout this God-centered journey, Ritter’s poignant words explore how spiritual healing is possible after the loss of a loved one to suicide.
View additional local suicide grief support, grief resources, and suicide awareness.
