The Clearfield-Jefferson Suicide Prevention Team is inviting community members who have been affected by suicide to join them for its second-ever Candlelight Remembrance Vigil. The vigil will be held at 6:30 p.m. May 4 at the David H. Litz Grove Stage at the Clearfield Driving Park.
Suicide rates in the United States have been increasing dramatically since 2006. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there is one suicide every 14.2 minutes in the United States, which equals to more than 101 suicides daily. There are at least six people who are directly affected by each suicide. These individuals are suicide survivors.
Survivors of suicide have endured one of the most horrific ordeals possible in the human experience. The death of a loved one by suicide triggers a roller coaster ride of emotions that are unlike any other. Along with grieving the loss of a loved one, survivors of suicide often experience feelings of guilt, anger, resentment, failure, remorse, confusion and stigma, according to Patti McCullough of the Clearfield-Jefferson Suicide Prevention Team.
“These feelings may also cause survivors to feel isolated or alone in their grief. Losing a loved one to suicide is different than losing a loved one as the result of a disease or a tragic accident. With suicide the person has actually chosen death,” explained McCullough.
“People don’t know how to relate to death by suicide. They are at a loss for how to comfort a survivor. Survivors of suicide often feel alone and reluctant to discuss their feelings or emotions about the death of their loved ones. They are often afraid that they will be condemned, judged or blamed for their loved one’s death by others for not trying to get that person help.
“If your life has been changed by the suicide death of someone you knew and loved or if you have contemplated ending your own life, please join with other survivors in a time of remembrance and healing at the Candlelight Remembrance Vigil.”
For more information, please contact McCullough at 814-768-2830 or visit www.cjsuicidepreventionteam.org.
