Tag Archives: Suicide

Movies Are an Unexpected Grief Healing Tool

More than entertainment, they offer the power to heal

We are all aware that movies can be incredibly powerful, but we rarely consider them to be a grief healing tool. Nevertheless, they often are. I experienced this personally in 2009. In the midst of my deep anguish and feelings … Continue reading

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Transforming the Legacy of Suicide – Part Two

From unraveling to weaving my own tapestry

It was my 18th birthday — five months to the day after my father’s suicide. Tears arrived without warning, without my permission. They burst through the protective armor that had been slowly eroding away through my process of denial and minimization. … Continue reading

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When The Legacy is Suicide

The initial impact

When I was a child, my family was a strong, stoic clan. We valued fierce independence above all else. Asking for help or seeking recognition was not acceptable. Neither love nor grief was talked about or expressed. Any acknowledgment of … Continue reading

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“Daddy” by Sylvia Plath

Poem "Daddy" is a pure scream of primal rage

Anger is a natural part of the grieving process. In her poem “Daddy,” American poet Sylvia Plath expresses rage at her father for his treatment of her when he was alive and for his untimely death. Plath was born in … Continue reading

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“The Unforgetting” Explores the Evolution of Grief

Artist Peter Watkins makes evolving photos and installations following his mother's suicide

An artist confronting grief has the almost insurmountable task of expressing deep, complex feelings to complete strangers. This is especially true for an artist dealing with the death of a parent. It is even more so when the death was … Continue reading

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“Ode to Billie Joe” by Bobbie Gentry

Song explores disenfranchised grief

“Ode to Billie Joe,” written and performed by Bobbie Gentry, was released in 1967. It received several Grammy nominations, and quickly rose to the top of the charts. The song is soulful and emotionally complex. The narrator, a young woman … Continue reading

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