After losing my 43-year-old brother to suicide, joining StandBy’s Lived Experience Advisory Group, provided the opportunity to reach out from my grief to use my lived experience with suicide bereavement in a meaningful way. Identifying the individual differences in suicide bereavement is important. Without targeted postvention support, suicide bereaved may feel vulnerable, isolated, and alone to deal with the potential internal conflict, grief and loss. Our family was among those who did not receive Postvention support. Therefore, sharing my suicide bereavement experience to benefit StandBy in their undertaking to implement effective support to those impacted by suicide is why I joined the Advisory Group.

What would you like to see the group achieve?

The field of suicide bereavement research is growing.  However, there remains a need for more knowledge on best evidence-based practices for providing support to the bereaved. We are not a homogenous group. Therefore, bereavement support needs to be attentive to unique grief experiences. I would like to see our Advisory Group represented in suicide bereavement research, where our collective experience may contribute to understanding best practices in providing peer support in suicide bereavement.

What have you gained by taking part? 

None of us would have ever chosen this journey. However, we have found strength in standing together – in standing together, we no longer feel alone. Suicide bereaved do need support and community respect, and I hope that through sharing our collective voices, together, we can begin to break down the barriers that prevent people from seeking help. As a collective voice, we are gaining momentum to break down cultural stigmas.

What would you like the public to know about suicide?           

Before my brother’s death, he faced a revolving door of suicide-related hospitalisations, health professionals, and medications. However, what was missing was suicide-specific support. Our family needed specific support. Barriers in accessing support included not being aware of available suicide support services, stigma, culturally unresponsive interventions, and poor quality, inappropriate, and unsupportive health professionals. The fact remains that many people bereaved by suicide are not aware of support available. Therefore, remember – if you are going through any experience associated with suicide bereavement, please know that you are not alone. StandBy is there to stand beside you until you, are able to stand beside others.

Thank you StandBy, you have made my lived experience with suicide bereavement livable.