Support after death

Information after a death

We would like to express our deepest sympathy for the loss of someone special to you.

Suicides are always very distressing for everyone who knew the person who has died. The grieving process is a natural response and everyone will experience extreme sadness. Grieving will take as long as it needs to take and the loss will always be significant in your life. You can expect that, over time, doing everyday things will become less difficult.

It is important to have good supports. You may like to think about whom your key supports are or could be. Friends and family can be of great help but they too may be grieving and there can be a number of other reasons why you would prefer support from other people who you either do not already know or do not know well.

One option would be joining a support group as they can be very helpful in the grieving process. There are informal get togethers and more formal groups which meet at intervals for a set length of time and work through a bereavement programme. Please see the social support register on the Local support services page for any that may be in your area or alternatively use the form on Contact the Suicide Prevention coordinator page to contact the coordinator, who will then let you know of any bereavement support groups.

We have been advised that there will be some WAVES suicide bereavement groups being held in the Waikato towards the end of 2016/early 2017. WAVES course is specifically for assisting people who have been bereaved by suicide. The programmes are held once a week over eight weeks and consists of a close group of six to eight participants. The WAVES programme has been developed in New Zealand. Please see the attached article (Bowden, 2011) for more information about the programme.

There are WAVES groups being co-facilitated in the Waikato area during 2017.   Please contact us or Skylight at www.skylight.org.nz for more information about upcoming courses.

Grief counselling may also be helpful and funded counsellingKayte Godward is available. Please discuss with your general practitioner.   Referrals may alsodue to be made through social agencies.   For more details please talk to your doctorco-facilitating a group starting late 2016 or contact us using the icon below.

Your own wellbeing is very important. If you are experiencing ongoing grief or extreme sadness has returned (perhaps triggered by another event), or you are worried about how you are feeling, please discuss with your GP.

• Information about after a suicide
• The following link provides helpful information about suicide bereavement
• Coping with bereavement and loss

If you need bereavement support contact us.
early 2017.