I've lost my daughter

I am so very very sorry for your loss!!! We lost a nephew to suicide and have seen the after effects in the family. Its truly unbearable to lose a child but when suicide is involved you find yourself questioning every interaction.

Thank you for the courage to post this, it's important information for everyone to hear. Please take care of yourself and know that this entire board is here to support you!

There are no words anyone can say that could ever be enough but I am truly truly sorry for your loss and you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.  I want to thank you for having the courage and incredible compassion to write this post which can help so many!  You are truly selfless to think of others at a time of such overwhelming sadness in your life!

I hugged both of my children after I read your post and I took the time to ask my 11 year old son how his day was and let him know I am there to listen. I can't thank you enough for that gift that you just gave me because I will now make an even better effort to communicate with my kids and look for any signs they are struggling!  No words can express my gratitude to you.

Hugs,

Thank you for this post!  This sounds just like my oldest daughter.  I have had thoughts that she might be needing therapy and today I made her an appointment!!!  I am hearing your message loud and clear.  I am so sorry for your loss, but Thank you for sharing your story and giving other parents the chance to act while they still can.  You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers!!!

I'm so sorry for the loss of your daughter. It took a lot of courage to share your story to try to help others. I'm a mental health professional and it is important to talk openly about mental illness and suicide to reduce the stigma. I hope you are taking care of yourself. Can't imagine the pain you are going through.

So very young. I pray for peace and light for you and your family. So sorry.

My heart breaks for your unimaginable loss. Your little girl is at peace now and can never feel pain again.

Please surround yourself with the love and support you will need to get through this. I wish you and your family solace, courage, and peace.

Words alone cannot express how sorry I am for the loss of your precious daughter. I hope that the love and support you receive will in time help you find peace and healing.

My son has struggled with severe depression since age 11. He is now 19, and seems to be at a good place now, but I don't think I can ever relax as a parent. My 23 year old daughter is now starting to deal with depression as well, and I wish I could wave a magic wand to help her.Mental Health issues need more attention, acceptance, and research. As an elementary teacher I see more and more students showing signs of anxiety and depression, and because of what I have experienced with my son I do talk to parents about my concerns and share information about depression.

Big cyberhugs to you. Thank you for posting your story. Your story will make a difference in the lives of others, and remind all of us to be more aware.

I am so sorry for your loss !  My heart broke when I began to read your post.  Thank-you for having the courage to post this in the hopes of helping someone.  Your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.  My most sincere sympathy to you all.

I am so deeply sorry for the loss of your daughter.  My thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time.  Thank you for telling us.  We are HERE to support you any way we can.  

Happiegirl, I am deeply sorry for your loss and I commend you for sharing your daughter's story. On June 23rd it will be 2 yrs since my 16 year old nephew passed away. He too took his own life. I think it is very important to help educate parents and children about suicide and suicide prevention. It is all too common and like you said there is help! Things can and will get better. Like your daughter my nephew also showed no signs. He was popular, played sports, the drums, loved to skate board and appeared very happy. During his funeral all we heard from teachers and friends was how shocked they were because of how happy he appeared and how much he did to help others out with their struggles. I do think he must of had some sort of undiagnosed mental illness to do what he did. You are so right that it is up to us to be sure we talk to our kids and see what they are feeling and to stay very involved in their lives. Be aware of even the subtle changes. Sometimes those are the most important. Looking back my nephew seemed to be a little withdrawn toward family. We thought it was normal for a teenager. They are becoming more independent hanging around with friends a lot more, etc. He too was also very introverted. I assume he was that way because he was afraid to be judged about his thoughts and feelings. His maternal grandmother has bipolar. He had at one point expressed fear about bipolar running in his family and said he never wants to be like her. I think that fear  prevented him on letting us know what he was going through himself. Mental illness is real and it can start very early in children. I think it is very important to speak to kids about it and educate them. Knowledge is power. It will help take away from the fear of someone feeling they are "broken or crazy" and give them to get help without feeling bad about themselves. As far as bullying goes there has been a lot of strives made in schools and such to stop bullying and hate crimes. There is a long way to go still, but we are moving in the right direction. We need to do the same for mental illness and suicide prevention. Like happiegirl said there is such a stigma when it comes to mental illness and there should not be! It is a disease like any other disease and people have the right to get treatment for it without shame or judgment. Thank you happiegirl for sharing with us. It was very courageous on your part. Like you I struggled with sharing about my nephew, but I figure if it can help out someone who might be struggling then it is worth it! Again I am deeply sorry for the loss of your beautiful daughter.