I've listed below a selection of the organisations, websites and forums that I have found helpful in understanding suicide and dealing with Louise's death. If you have also suffered the loss of a loved one through suicide, or indeed have lost your partner in any circumstances, then my heart goes out to you and I hope that you may find some or all of these resources helpful. The list isn't by any means comprehensive but I hope to add to it in time.
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide - A self help voluntary organisation for people affected by suicide. The website has a variety of material but the main value is the telephone helpline, staffed by volunteers who have all themselves lost a family member to suicide and the network of local self help groups located throughout the UK.
WAY - Widowed and Young - WAY is the only national charity in the UK for men and women aged 50 or under when their partner dies. The website offers some resources for non members but the main value for subscribers is the informal interaction with other young widows and widowers both on the web forum and WAY's Facebook site and indeed in the many social events organised up and down the country. If you have lost your partner at a relatively young age this is a place where everybody understands because they are all in the same position.
Alliance of Hope - a fairly comprehensive US based website and forum for those who whose loved ones have taken their lives
Samaritans - Should need no introduction but, just in case, its a 24 hour a day service to provide confidential emotional support for people who are experiencing feelings of distress, despair or suicidal thoughts. I found the telephone helpline invaluable at 5am the day after Louise died.
Blogs
There are numerous blogs dealing with themes of grief and bereavement, often in very different ways to mine which can be no bad thing. These include;
Planet Grief - Helen Bailey lost her husband in a swimming accident and found herself, at the age of 46, on Planet Grief. This is her wonderfully erudite, insightful and, yes, entertaining, story of life on this strange new world.
Panic at the Panto - a darkly comedic journey through bereavement.
Emergency Bunny - 'Life is awesome - even when its shit'.
Cracking Mourning - one woman's attempt to love life again after her husband died at 33
A Nameless Pain - writing and releasing the pain of losing the love of your love
The Fuschia Tree - establishing the 'new normal'
Books
Me After You by Lucie Brownlee - Lucie's husband dropped dead at the age of 37 while they were making love. Me After You is her raw and engaging account of the months and years that followed.
A Grief Observed by CS Lewis - The classic literary examination of pain and despair after the death of a partner, written by CS Lewis in the period immediately after the loss of his wife.
Articles
In the End There is Only Love - A Huffington Post journalist writes about the loss of her partner to suicide
