Ep. 90 Suicide: Surviving the Aftermath: Part 6

May 15, 2017April 27, 2017 kwyattmd

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The story of my long journey of healing after my father’s suicide death – told in a series of 8 episodes.

Part 6: The Purple Heart

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If you are currently experiencing a crisis or feeling hopeless please know that you are not alone. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for free and confidential support available 24/7 for people in distress:

1-800-273-8255

or Text HELLO to 741-741.

This episode consists of:

How hospice work help me get “unstuck” on my grief journey
How I uncovered my anger at my Dad and my need to forgive him for taking his life
The “secret” my Aunt Lena told me about Dad and World War II
What I learned from psychiatrist Dr. Jeff Black who treats war veterans for trauma and “soul loss”
The RAIN formula from Jack Kornfeld for healing trauma:
- Recognize the effect the trauma has had on your life
- Acknowledge and accept the pain you are experiencing
- Investigate the patterns
- Non-attachment to the “story” of the trauma
Poem: “Griefwork”
A message of hope for those grieving a suicide and for anyone who might be considering suicide at this time:

Please don’t give up. There is light in the darkness, there is love for you, there is grace. I have survived and I am here to spread hope.

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Please call 1-800-273-8255 for help if you are thinking about suicide.

Click here to talk with someone now.

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Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/end-of-life-university/id1033282990

Sign up here for the End-of-Life University mailing list. Visit the EOLU website.

Published by kwyattmd

Karen Wyatt MD is a family physician who has spent much of her 25 year medical career working with patients in challenging settings, such as hospice, nursing homes and indigent clinics. She is interested in a spiritual approach to medicine, illness, death and dying and is the author of two books. Check out her website at www.karenwyattmd.com View all posts by kwyattmd

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From Watkins Publishing:

There is no life without death.

The aim of this book is to ease our terror of death so that we can contemplate our own deaths, and those of our loved ones, with less regret, disappointment and fear, and to learn to live with more freedom and joy.

Collected here are uplifting stories of transformation and healing gathered by Dr Karen Wyatt from the hospice patients in her care. She offers the seven key lessons the dying taught her, from suffering (“embrace your difficulties”) and love (“let your heart be broken”) to forgiveness (“hold no resentments”) and impermanence (“face your fear”).

The sometimes challenging, always inspiring real-life stories are combined with guidance on absorbing the 7 lessons into our lives through meditation and other spiritual practices. Teaching us what really matters in life, the dying show us how to live our best lives now with meaning, purpose and love.