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Nearly 46,000 Americans died by suicide in 2020. That’s one death every 11 minutes.
Coping with the loss of a loved one is challenging. It can also be difficult for people around them to know how to best support them. DBSA Young Adult Council members Olivia Eiler and Jamie Vaughn spoke with two co-facilitators from the Survivors of Suicide (SOS) bereavement support group at UMPC Western Psychiatric Hospital’s STAR-Center in Pittsburgh. They share their personal experiences with suicide loss, offer practical tips for supporting survivors, and discuss resources for survivors.
For Immediate Help:
National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988
Online Resources:
American Association of Suicidology
https://suicidology.org/
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
https://afsp.org/
Survivors of Suicide bereavement support group
https://www.starcenter.pitt.edu/clinical-services/survivors-suicide
Jamey Covaleski
412-864-3346
covaleskijj@upmc.edu
The Dougy Center for Grieving Children & Families
https://www.dougy.org/
The Child Mind Institute
https://childmind.org/topics/suicide-self-harm/

Books for Adults:
After Suicide Loss: Coping with Your Grief by Bob Baugher and Jack Jordan
No Time to Say Goodbye: Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One by Carla Fine
When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner
Why People Die by Suicide by Thomas Joiner
History of a Suicide: My Sister’s Unfinished Life by Jill Bialosky
I’m Sorry For Your Loss: Hope and Guidance in Managing Your Grief by Lillian L. Meyers, Ph.D.
My Son…My Son: A Guide to Healing After Death, Loss, or Suicide by Iris Bolton
Voices of Healing and Hope: Conversations on Grief after Suicide by Iris Bolton
Cracked, Not Broken: Surviving and Thriving After a Suicide Attempt by Kevin Hines
It’s OK That You’re Not OK: Meeting grief and loss in a culture that doesn’t understand by Megan Devine
Grief One Day at a Time: 365 Meditations to Help You Heal After Loss by Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D.
A Time to Grieve: Meditations for Healing After the Death of a Loved One by Carol Staudacher
Shattered: Surviving the Loss of a Child by Gary Roe
Signs by Laura Lynne Jackson

Books for Children:
Suicide Loss: What Teens Need to Know by Terri Erbacher, Ph.D. & Tony Salvatore, MA
But I Didn't Get to Say Goodbye: For Parents and Professionals Helping Child Suicide Survivors by Barbara Rubel
My Uncle Keith Died by Carol Ann Loehr, Julianne Costentino & James Mojonnier

Many people know that social media can have a negative effect on mental health. Doomscrooling, negative comments, cyberbullying, and tragic news events are pervasive in the realm of social media. Living with depression or bipolar can make navigating these spaces difficult, especially when peers try to find content/resources to support their mental wellness.
DBSA sat down with Clayton Echard to discuss social media, mental health, and how to find wellness and support in the digital world. Clayton is a mental health and wellness advocate, personal trainer, athlete, and star of season 26 of The Bachelor. Clayton also talks about how he positively uses social media, the connection between body dysmorphia and mental health, and the importance of sharing your wellness journey.
You can find Clayton's work on Instagram.
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Bonus Episode from our DBSA podcast, I'm Living Proof: A Letter to my Younger Self.
Make sure to subscribe to ILP on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Mik knew something was wrong when at ten years old, she experienced suicidal ideation. What started as something she couldn't understand took her on a journey which ended up with her diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Now, Mik bravely shares her experience through humor and educational videos online and discusses her journey and activism with us.
MiK B is a mental health advocate who lives with bipolar disorder, anxiety, and ADHD. Mik shares her story online with others through TikTok, Instagram, and her website. She is passionate about positively impacting the mental health world through sharing her personal experiences and providing a community for people living with Bipolar disorder. Find her on Instagram and Tiktok @mikb_itme.
Read Mik's letter
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In December 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory on the impact of Covid-19 on our growing youth mental health crisis. Today, 1 in 5 children ages 3 to 17 experience some form of mental health or behavioral challenge. Access to adequate mental health resources for parents and children is pivotal in combatting the youth mental health crisis and reducing stigma.  
DBSA discusses the effects of our youth mental health crisis with Dr. Nicole Brown. Dr. Brown is the Chief Health Officer at Strong Children Wellness, a health researcher focusing on enhancing care and service coordination for children who have experienced trauma and chronic mental health needs, and a member of the DBSA Board of Directors. In this conversation, we explore the types of mental health challenges youth experience today, such as depression and ADHD, how parents can advocate for their children, work with their pediatrician to get the proper mental health care, and how this crisis affects underserved communities.  
Footnotes:
You can support DBSA by making a gift today 
Learn more about Dr. Nicole Brown  
Discover the Balanced Mind Parent Network, an online community for parents and caregivers of a child living with a mental health condition  
Meet the Mood Crew® and explore activities designed to help your child understand their moods and emotions. 

The holiday season -- with its expectations for socializing, gift-giving, and forced merriment -- can present significant challenges to peers living with depression and bipolar attempting to manage their moods during such a hectic period. , and, even after the holiday's end, the challenges to mental health wellness can loom even larger. In this podcast, we'll listen to John Budin, MD, a licensed psychiatrist, offer his insights and helpful advice on how to manage post-holiday depression, deal with Seasonal Affective Disorder, set effective goals for the new year, and prepare ourselves for a happy and productive 2022.   

Dr. Martha Sajatovic and DBSA Peer Kimberly Allen discuss shared decision-making and its impact on treatment plans and treatment options for peers living with depression or bipolar disorder. Learn about the importance of medication adherence, how to educate yourself about treatment options like Long-Acting Injectables, and hear Kimberly's experience with working with clinicians and mental health professionals to find the best treatment options for her.
Dr. Martha Sajatovic is a Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (CWRU) in Cleveland, Ohio, and a member of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Scientific Advisory Board. From UHHospitals.org: "Dr. Sajatovic is a researcher, educator, and clinician who has devoted herself to studying and treating traditionally, hard-to-treat populations with central nervous system disorders. Dr. Sajatovic's research interests have focused on neuropsychiatric outcomes of brain disorders across the lifespan, including epilepsy, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and other types of dementia and Parkinson's disease."
Kimberly Allen is a licensed addiction treatment professional, senior consultant at Via Positiva, and a mental health advocate. As an experienced mental health advocate, Kimberly currently serves as a Lived Experience Advisor, collaborating with leading academic institutions and advocacy organizations on patient-centered research.
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DBSA would like to thank Novus Medical Education for supporting this episode.