Susan, your host, first wants the listeners to know that in this conversation, she's discussing the topic of suicide, which might be sensitive or upsetting for some of you. Be prepared for a respectful and authentic conversation.
Susan welcomes Alexandra Wyman. Alexandra is an advocate and public speaker for resources in the aftermath of suicide. After she lost her husband to suicide in August 2020, Alexandra found a need to change the language around suicide and decided to write about it. Her memoir, The Suicide Club: What To Do When Someone You Love Chooses Death, is an Amazon best seller. She has spoken at a variety of conferences, including the 2023 Northwest Conference on Childhood Grief and the 2023 Military Social Work & Behavioral Health Conference, and has been accepted to present at the International Association of Suicide Prevention Conference 2023 in Piran, Slovenia. Alexandra is the host of The Widows Club podcast. She practices pediatric occupational therapy and lives in Colorado with her son.
Key Takeaways:
Alexandra shares her grief story of when she lost her husband to suicide.
Grief is overwhelming; it comes in waves.
The individual experience of grief is unique.
Susan and Alexandra share how impactful it was for them when people took objects that belonged to their loved ones who passed away.
People tend to think that what happened to you would never happen to them, and in the way of protecting themselves, they end up asking questions that end up shaming and blaming the grieving person.
Not all people who died to suicide had a diagnosis.
Alexandra learned to have compassion for her husband, who chose suicide; in her opinion, it takes a lot of courage to decide to end your own life to end an excruciating pain.
Grief is an inward journey, a path of you learning about yourself and becoming a better version of yourself.
Practice compassion and love for yourself.
There are different types of grief.
Be unapologetic about your boundaries!
No matter who that person is, if someone is not honoring your grief, set boundaries to protect your healing process.
You are more than your grief.
Alexandra talks about The Widows Club.
Remember, it is possible to get to a place of joy again.
The grief will be with you for the rest of your life but will change over time.
YOU CAN DO THIS! You are not alone; seek those moments of joy.
Resources
Email Susan: susan@tendrilsofgrief.com
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