When someone dies by suicide

You may have heard the word 'suicide'. What does it mean?

Suicide is when somebody chooses to end their own life.

The sadness you feel when somebody dies by suicide can be very painful.

It can really hurt a lot.

You may feel lots of emotions

You may feel sad, afraid, confused, lonely or angry.

You may just feel numb inside. 

You may not understand why the person died, and you could have lots of unanswered questions.

These feelings will pass

In time your feelings of grief may get easier to cope with.

The feelings may come and go.

But if they don't get easier or they feel worse then it's important to talk to somebody you trust.

Sometimes it's difficult to talk about it

You or your family might feel uncomfortable talking about somebody who died by suicide.

But talking can really help.

And there's lots of places you can get support...

When you're at home...

Try sharing how you feel with your parents or extended family.

Ask them how they cope with losing somebody – this might give you some ideas on how you can start to heal.

When you're at school...

Tell a teacher you trust or the school counsellor what's happened.

They can help you in class and give you extra support when you need it.

Talk to a Kids Helpline counsellor

Try contacting Kids Helpline and chat with a counsellor.

They will listen and they care about what you're going through.

They may even give you some ideas about how to deal with the hurt you feel inside.

Remembering the person you lost

When you are hurting inside it can help to remember the person you lost.

Carry a photo with you, have a parent light a candle with you or visit a special place that reminds you of them.

It's ok if you don’t want to talk about it

Sometimes you might not want to talk.

Taking a break from feeling sad is ok too.

Take your mind off it and listen to some music, draw, write a poem, play a sport or watch your favourite show.