"The pain is still there, but Ilona Luth and Patricia Gerstendorfer can laugh once again. Sitting together on two wooden chairs, they smile at each other. Their friendship is marked by a shared traumatic experience: Both lost loved ones to suicide. "I asked Patricia all the questions I didn't dare ask myself at the time," says Ilona. "Do I need therapy now? Can I continue working? Can I manage without medication? Patricia encouraged me to do what felt right.""
"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 more than 10 years. "In the first year, I felt terrible," she recalls. "There was just pain, and the horror. It took a long time before I was able to feel real grief.""
Ilona Luth lost her husband to suicide six years ago and initially coped by immersing herself in work before recognizing she needed help. A neighbor directed her to a Berlin support group where she met volunteer leader Patricia Gerstendorfer, who has led the group for over ten years. The early months brought intense pain and horror before grief could fully surface. Regular meetings offer practical comforts, information and peer empathy. Both women now volunteer in suicide prevention and grief counseling, emphasizing that each suicide leaves multiple people profoundly affected and in need of support.
Read at www.dw.com
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