When our sibling has died by suicide

One of a series of leaflets published by The Compassionate Friends It is devastating when a sibling dies, particularly if their death was sudden. Your world has changed instantly and forever. If they died by confirmed or suspected suicide you will likely be in a state of shock. You may feel a range of natural responses including intense sorrow, confusion, numbness or disbelief. At times you might feel overwhelmed by your thoughts and feelings, whereas at other times it might not feel real. You might question how you are going to cope with everything that is going on around you. We hope this leaflet written by others bereaved in this way will help. Note: This leaflet is specifically about a sibling of any age who has died by suicide. We recommend you also read the leaflet A sibling’s grief by the Compassionate Friends (TCF): tcf.org.uk/siblinggriefleaflet The worst has happened Whether we were aware or not of any issues our sibling was dealing with, such as mental health issues, money problems, substance use or others, their death will most likely be a terrible shock. People often describe the impact of sudden death as like an earthquake, where the ground beneath our feet shifts. There is a widespread shock wave across family and close friends which can put relationships under strain, as well as external stresses from legal processes involving police and social media. When our sibling has died by suicide