It can feel difficult telling others that you have lost someone to suicide. Often, when a death is caused by suicide, the pain of grieving is compounded by the stigma attached to suicide.
You may be unsure of what to tell people for fear that they'll judge you or the deceased. Your own acceptance of the person’s choice to suicide can help to relieve your shame, and it's important to speak to others who share this acceptance.
Remember, people's discomfort in talking about a suicidal death is often about death itself rather than how it occurred; many would react in a similar way to a death due to illness.
You have control over how much you choose to disclose to others. It's generally best to be honest, but you don't have to say more than you are comfortable with. For example, you might choose to say something like, "He died by suicide (took his own life/killed himself). I'm not ready to talk about the details yet but I'm thankful for the support."
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