About 800,000 people worldwide take their lives each year, which is one death every 40 seconds, according to the World Health Organization. It’s estimated that for every one person who dies by suicide, there are up to 135 people who are impacted by the death. Survivors of suicide loss often feel stuck in the trenches fighting a battle alone in a war they were thrown into against their will.
Support for those left behind is often overlooked, and it can result in severe mental and physical complications. International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day aims to change that and to give hope to those struggling as they continue to experience complicated trauma and grief.
Mandy Doria, MS, LPC, is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. She has spent a large part of her career helping those who have lost a loved one to suicide.
Below, Laura Kelley, media relations professional in the CU Anschutz Office of Communications, who suffered her own personal loss this past year, speaks to Doria about how to help those who have lost someone to suicide and how they can better navigate the upcoming holiday season.