Diving Into Death
Suicide can strike anyone, anywhere. It is neither a “cool” Netflix series nor a “committed” crime. Here, a survivor of suicide loss contemplates the aftermath–despair, guilt, blame, rage, fear, faith, and growth–stripped of platitudes and promises, just the raw truth of grief, with the hope that words have the power to comfort, affirm, and ameliorate.
Photo by Lane Smith on Unsplash
LOSS. You cannot imagine and may not even wish to go on without them. Just taking your next breath requires extraordinary strength. Experience others’ stories here.
Photo by Angus Gray on Unsplash
GRIEF. Somehow, the world goes on, but you’re engulfed in pain so deep it wants to swallow you whole. It is terrifying. Explore the facets and phases of grief here.
Photo by Faris Mohammed on Unsplash
OPTIONS. You realize you have three: to follow them into death, to endure in endless pain, or to risk evolving into a new version of you. Consider connecting to other survivors here.
From the Blog
My Secret Grief Life
My secret grief life: Why does the grief of suicide loss still hurt SO much, and why do I feel like I need to hide it? My secret double life could become dangerous if I don’t got control of it.
A Sign from my Dead Son
I begged for a sign that my dead son still exists and is all right–and I got one that is tangible and irrefutable. This changes everything.
Hopeless
How much can we bear? Hurricanes, fires, wars, political unrest, financial stress–and now another suicide, a friend of the family, an innocent young man. I’m left hopeless.
To My Son on Your Death Anniversary
On the anniversary of her son’s death by suicide, a mother writes to him of her continued anguish and almost unbearable grief–and the choice she faces whether to succumb or survive.
Jacob’s Story: Why I Killed Myself
Hey, this is Jacob. I killed myself when I was 21. My mom has written a lot about how my suicide impacted her … but now it’s my turn to tell my side of the story.
Moving Away from the Grave
If I move away from the grave where we buried the ashes of my son Jacob--who died by suicide after a long battle with...
Suicide: The Life He’ll Never Have
It wasn’t just my son who died on the day of his suicide: it was all his hopes and dreams for his future, my hopes for him, and even my fundamental ability to have hope.
Making Miracles Happen
If your dreams don't scare the hell out of you, then they're not big enough. -- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, first female...
My Little White Pill
Not only do I struggle with grief and the suicide loss of my son, I rage against my need to take that little white pill just to get through the day.
About Jessica Joyce
Survivor of poverty, rape, domestic violence, divorce, severe mental illness in family, estrangement, depression, anxiety … and then, the loss by suicide of my 21-year-old son, Jacob. A middle-aged mother taking shelter near the sea, striving to continue breathing and living. A writer who believes our words have the power to flush out the rage, apply balm to trauma, and help us survive through the sharing of stories.