I’ve lost someone close to suicide, what support is available to me?

If you have lost someone close to you by suicide, the shock and distress may be profound. All bereavements can carry feelings of sadness, anxiety, anger and confusion. With a suicide bereavement these feelings can be further complicated by:

• Feelings of guilt or feeling some sense of responsibility
• A sense of shame, particularly if there is any stigma experienced around the nature of the bereavement
• Anxiety around media attention following the event or during the inquest process
• Having unresolved questions about why and how this could happen.

All of these things may impact your studies, home life and your relationships in general. Having someone to talk things through with, during this time is important for your mental wellbeing, and there are many resources available to you, if you feel you need support.

Support 

Help is at Hand is a comprehensive guide produced by Public Health England and the National Suicide Prevention Alliance to help guide you through what to expect, and the processes around a death when someone may have died of suicide.

Rethink is a free service which provides support for people 18+ in Surrey who are bereaved by suicide, for example; family, friends and people exposed to suicide like witnesses, first responders, neighbours, colleagues and health and social care professionals. The staff team and volunteers have lived experience of bereavement by suicide as well as other professional experience so that they can understand the unique experience you have been through.

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) is the leading charity in the UK for people over the age of 18 who have been bereaved by suicide. Support groups are welcoming, informal and non-judgmental in approach and are run by trained volunteers who have  themselves experienced bereavement by suicide.

Cruse provides confidential and non-judgmental bereavement support one to one or in groups.

Centre for Wellbeing

If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope at any point, you can make an appointment to see a wellbeing adviser or counsellor at the Centre for Wellbeing, located on the east side of the Stag Hill campus.

The Centre is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, excluding bank holidays and University closure days. Contact the Centre on +44 (0)1483 689498 or drop in during our opening hours.

Thrivewell

Our new service Thrivewell can also offer support. Thrivewell is a mental health and emotional wellbeing service which can help with a range of related issues caused by bereavement such as anxiety and low mood. You can contact Thrivewell via our email; thrivewell@surrey.ac.uk.

Bereavement Café

The Bereavement Café is there to enable students to safety and confidentially, talk and express their emotions about any bereavement they may have experienced that may be impacting them. This usually takes place on Wednesday afternoons in Manor Park Social.

Run exclusively for students experiencing grief, it is a space to reflect or openly discuss thoughts and feelings with peers going through a similar experience. This is a small group that is organised by the Students’ Union and facilitated by the Religious Life and Belief Centre in a pastoral manner but with no religious connection or connotations.

To arrange an appointment, or to find out more about our bereavement counselling services, please get in touch with the Religious Life and Belief Centre.