NEW YORK CITY — The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will commemorate International Survivors of Suicide Day on Nov. 17, offering healing, support and information for thousands who have lost someone they know to suicide, according to a statement.
“Over the past few months there has been a great deal of media attention surrounding suicides of prominent people. Yet almost none of this media coverage has addressed what happens to those left behind,” Joanne Harpel, AFSP’s senior director for public affairs and postvention said, also in the statement.
“International Survivors of Suicide Day is designed to help those bereaved by suicide sort through the difficult and powerful emotions they may be experiencing, and find comfort by being with others who truly understand.”
The statement also said: "AFSP has produced a diverse program that will be shown at more than 300 conference sites worldwide and will feature survivors of suicide loss, each sharing their personal stories and how they coped. The program will also be available online at www.afsp.org with an online chat immediately following the program. The online broadcast ensures that survivors can participate even if there is not a local conference in their area or if they find it difficult to participate in person. The program is then archived and available on www.afsp.org for two years to further extend its reach."
“I was 20 years old when my mom died by suicide. Her death shook the very foundation of my life, emotionally and spiritually,” Food Network and Cooking Channel star Melissa d’Arabian said, also in the statement. “Back then, there was little support for people coping with a suicide, which is why I am so moved by the efforts of AFSP to provide resources, information, support and events like these healing conferences so that others don’t have to feel so alone.”
For more information about AFSP’s International Survivors of Suicide Day or to find a conference site near you, visit www.afsp.org.
"About the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention:
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is the leading national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy as well as to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those affected by suicide."
Editor's note: All information
in this post was contributed.
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