Suicide
How Can I Work through My Pain after a Suicide?

“How Can I Work through My Pain after a Suicide?” Loss Survivors (2018).

“How Can I Work through My Pain?” Loss Survivors.

How Can I Work through My Pain after a Suicide?

The pain you feel after a suicide can last for a long time. President M. Russell Ballard said, “The act of taking one’s life is truly a tragedy because this single act leaves so many victims: first the one who dies, then the dozens of others—family and friends—who are left behind, some to face years of deep pain and confusion” (“Suicide: Some Things We Know, and Some We Do Not,” Ensign, Oct. 1987, 7).

Elder Dale G. Renlund taught: “In most people, it diminishes—the real intense hurt diminishes over time. But to say that it’s all going to be better tomorrow is of course a ridiculous statement. … Try to just get through the next day and then the next day and the next day. We are Latter-day Saints, and the Lord will help us with that” (“Grieving after a Suicide” [video, ChurchofJesusChrist.org]).

Prayerfully consider and use resources in your area. For example, you might ask for a priesthood blessing, attend the temple, counsel with your bishop or a mental health professional, or attend a grief support group.

Church and Community Resources

(Some of the resources listed below are not created, maintained, or controlled by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These materials are intended to serve as additional helpful resources as you study this topic. The Church does not endorse any content that is not in keeping with its doctrines and teachings.)