Healing the Wounds of Trauma

• Be with them and listen to them. Don’t preach at them, but ask questions that will help them express how they are feeling. Tears are good. Help them find ways to release their pain and express their anger. • Ask them to imagine their situation being just a little bit better. What would have changed? • Explore what has kept them fromcommitting suicide so far. Try to build hope on those ideas. For example, if a mother is concerned about the future of her child, discuss that and help her see that her child needs her very much. • Find out what they have already tried to overcome their problems, and help them think about what else they could try. • Assure them that others have been in similar situations and there is a way out other than death. The apostle Paul writes, “ Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and hewill not allowyou to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out ” (1 Co 10.13). • If possible, find a professional counselor to help them. Medica- tions for depression may help. If they are already on medication, encourage them to continue taking it. • Help them connect with others. Healing comes as they tell their story and reconnect with others. Even if they have professional help, they will still need friends and loved ones to help them. ❂❂ SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION How do people in your community treat someone who attempts suicide? Are these responses helpful or unhelpful?

6. How can we help the loved ones of someone who has committed suicide?

All death and loss is painful, but when a loved one commits suicide, people’s grief is especially painful. Their lives will be marked “before the suicide” and “after the suicide.”

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Suicide