"When Ilona suddenly lost her husband to suicide six years ago, she was heading the customs department of a medium-sized company. Distracting herself with work helped her to bring a sense of normality back into her life, she recalls. Ilona quickly realized that she wouldn't be able to cope with her loss alone so she sought help. A neighbor told her about a support group in Berlin. There, she met Patricia, who's been the group's volunteer leader for over 10 years."
"The wooden table in the center of the room is laden with coffee, tea, chocolate and tissues. Brochures and flyers about assistance programs are available too. The board games on the bookshelf behind the circle of chairs are misleading, because tonight is not about fun and games, but about pain and coping. Ilona is wearing a T-shirt bearing the words "Suicide Prevention Awareness." Like Patricia, she's also a volunteer in suicide prevention and grief counseling now."
Ilona Luth and Patricia Gerstendorfer both lost loved ones to suicide and formed a friendship through shared trauma and mutual support. Ilona returned to work to restore normality but soon recognized she needed help and joined a Berlin support group where Patricia volunteered. Early bereavement involved intense pain, horror, and delayed grieving. Regular group meetings offer refreshments, information and an empathetic space for coping. Both women now volunteer in suicide prevention and grief counseling, emphasizing that each suicide leaves six to ten people bereaved and creates substantial demand for community-based support. Helping others also supports personal healing and practical decision-making about therapy, work, and medication.
Read at www.dw.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]