Someone close to me has died by suicide - I need something to hold onto today
You don't have to make sense of this today. For right now, something that doesn't push you further into words is enough.
For the next few minutes
When someone close to you dies by suicide, everything often becomes too much at once: images, questions, silence, your body. Not being able to think right now is not a failure. It is a moment of shock.
What helps today is not making something meaningful out of this. What helps more is keeping the radius small: sit, drink something, tell one person, close a door, breathe again. Only what makes the next stretch a little more bearable.
You don't have to explain the loss today or feel it in the right way. Having something to hold onto is enough. Everything else can come later - or not at all today.
Step by step
1. Keep the radius small
Look only at the next hour, not the next few weeks.
2. Give your body something simple
Sit, drink something, a blanket, a wall, some fresh air.
3. Choose one person for what's essential
Don't inform everyone - just one reliable person for right now.
Common questions
Do I have to organize or understand anything right now?
Only what is immediately necessary. Understanding is not an obligation today. Small, concrete steps are enough for now.
What if I'm not feeling safe myself right now?
Then don't stay alone. The crisis numbers are listed in the note below - and now is the moment to use them or reach out directly to a real person.