Suicide Prevention Coalition hosting Survivors of Suicide Loss Day on November 9
The Chenango County Suicide Prevention Coalition will be hosting their second annual event for the International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day on Saturday, November 9 at the Parish House of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, located at 37 West Main Street in Norwich. (Photo from the Emmanuel Episcopal Church Facebook page)
NORWICH — The Chenango County Suicide Prevention Coalition will be hosting their second annual event for the International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day on Saturday, November 9 at the Parish House of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, located at 37 West Main Street in Norwich.
Attendees are encouraged to arrive between 9:30 and 10 a.m. for registration, as well as a welcome and refreshments from Chenango Health Network. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., attendees can mingle with others, do crafts, and share their stories. Attendees are also encouraged to bring a photo of their lost loved one to the event.
"We learned from last year we really wanted to be very person-centered, because it’s a very emotional day talking about loss to suicide, and grief, and what that journey looks like, and what healing looks like or feels like, and how it differs for a lot of people," explained Chenango Health Network Mental Health First Aid Coordinator Tiffani Gager. "People were able to talk about the loss we survived and laugh and reminisce and share memories and thoughts, and we were able to not just survive but live, live in their memory and be happy that they existed and that we got to know them."
She said the event is a way for individuals who have lost someone to suicide to connect with others who have experienced the same type of loss, share their experiences and feelings if they would like to, and receive support in a non-judgmental environment.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. The AFSP said in 2022, there were an estimated 1.6 million suicide attempts and 49,476 Americans died by suicide.
Gager explained that, unfortunately, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding suicide loss, and that can make it hard for survivors to talk about their grief, or even share happy memories of the person they lost.
"Last year we had some really great conversations about guilt and around how some days we feel guilty because we feel happy and that person we love is no longer with us. We talked about feeling stigmatized, because there’s still this stigma out there that the person chose to take their life so you have no reason to feel bad," she said. "There’s always going to be someone who's going to tell you that it’s wrong and it’s selfish and either you have no right to grieve, or you shouldn’t be grieving somebody who made a choice and didn’t care about you, and we hear a lot of that too. If they cared about you, they wouldn’t have done that."
"The thought of anybody feeling like they can’t share their loss because they feel like their loss doesn’t belong in this world, because there’s still such a taboo and stigma about it, is heartbreaking and cruel and it’s not okay."
Although suicide can be a difficult topic, Gager said Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is meant to be uplifting and empowering, and serve as a platform for individuals to share the happy memories of their loved ones and celebrate the time they had together.
"It gets heavy, but it gets heavy in certain areas if we choose to talk about things like that. But the beautiful part about that is we walked out into the light and we got to share wonderful memories and funny memories," said Gager. "[It's] a day to celebrate everyone that we loved, because they were someone to celebrate when they were here and they’re still someone to celebrate, and to have laughter and share memories and share what made them so important to you, and find solace in that."
However, Gager emphasized that sharing is optional. Those who wish to attend and receive support without talking about their own loss are welcome to do so.
"Some people don’t talk about it, and sometimes it’s not because they don’t want to, it’s because they don't know how," she explained. "If they want to come to the event and they don’t want to necessarily share or open up, they don’t have to. They can just be around people and do crafts and be a part of something that maybe makes them feel good in their heart where they don’t need to verbalize anything."
"This day is about empowerment. It’s not all about loss and grief. It’s about empowerment in our own journey and empowering each other to laugh and to love, and be okay, and be okay not being okay some days, and knowing that we have support," she added. "We get lost in ourselves and we forget. But that hope is remembering to turn on the light when we’re together, and sharing memories that were funny and brought us joy."
For more information or to register for Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, visit norwich-new-york.isosld.afsp.org.
For more information on the Chenango County Suicide Prevention Coalition, visit ChenangoWellnessandRecovery.org.
Attendees are encouraged to arrive between 9:30 and 10 a.m. for registration, as well as a welcome and refreshments from Chenango Health Network. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., attendees can mingle with others, do crafts, and share their stories. Attendees are also encouraged to bring a photo of their lost loved one to the event.
"We learned from last year we really wanted to be very person-centered, because it’s a very emotional day talking about loss to suicide, and grief, and what that journey looks like, and what healing looks like or feels like, and how it differs for a lot of people," explained Chenango Health Network Mental Health First Aid Coordinator Tiffani Gager. "People were able to talk about the loss we survived and laugh and reminisce and share memories and thoughts, and we were able to not just survive but live, live in their memory and be happy that they existed and that we got to know them."
She said the event is a way for individuals who have lost someone to suicide to connect with others who have experienced the same type of loss, share their experiences and feelings if they would like to, and receive support in a non-judgmental environment.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. The AFSP said in 2022, there were an estimated 1.6 million suicide attempts and 49,476 Americans died by suicide.
Gager explained that, unfortunately, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding suicide loss, and that can make it hard for survivors to talk about their grief, or even share happy memories of the person they lost.
"Last year we had some really great conversations about guilt and around how some days we feel guilty because we feel happy and that person we love is no longer with us. We talked about feeling stigmatized, because there’s still this stigma out there that the person chose to take their life so you have no reason to feel bad," she said. "There’s always going to be someone who's going to tell you that it’s wrong and it’s selfish and either you have no right to grieve, or you shouldn’t be grieving somebody who made a choice and didn’t care about you, and we hear a lot of that too. If they cared about you, they wouldn’t have done that."
"The thought of anybody feeling like they can’t share their loss because they feel like their loss doesn’t belong in this world, because there’s still such a taboo and stigma about it, is heartbreaking and cruel and it’s not okay."
Although suicide can be a difficult topic, Gager said Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is meant to be uplifting and empowering, and serve as a platform for individuals to share the happy memories of their loved ones and celebrate the time they had together.
"It gets heavy, but it gets heavy in certain areas if we choose to talk about things like that. But the beautiful part about that is we walked out into the light and we got to share wonderful memories and funny memories," said Gager. "[It's] a day to celebrate everyone that we loved, because they were someone to celebrate when they were here and they’re still someone to celebrate, and to have laughter and share memories and share what made them so important to you, and find solace in that."
However, Gager emphasized that sharing is optional. Those who wish to attend and receive support without talking about their own loss are welcome to do so.
"Some people don’t talk about it, and sometimes it’s not because they don’t want to, it’s because they don't know how," she explained. "If they want to come to the event and they don’t want to necessarily share or open up, they don’t have to. They can just be around people and do crafts and be a part of something that maybe makes them feel good in their heart where they don’t need to verbalize anything."
"This day is about empowerment. It’s not all about loss and grief. It’s about empowerment in our own journey and empowering each other to laugh and to love, and be okay, and be okay not being okay some days, and knowing that we have support," she added. "We get lost in ourselves and we forget. But that hope is remembering to turn on the light when we’re together, and sharing memories that were funny and brought us joy."
For more information or to register for Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, visit norwich-new-york.isosld.afsp.org.
For more information on the Chenango County Suicide Prevention Coalition, visit ChenangoWellnessandRecovery.org.
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