The following are quotes from stories that people have shared with me about their loss to suicide. Since June of 2009 I have received over 500 stories and requests to be a part of the Collateral Damage Project.

I encourage and invite you to leave your comments on what the Collateral Damage Project means to you as we continue the dialogue on suicide.

 

I have so many other stories to share…i would like to be part of your project…

My younger sister and cousins weren’t told the truth since it was thought they were too young to know.

At her funeral, suicide was never mentioned.

My husband suffered silently from a mental illness since childhood.

He was brilliant, caring, kind, just a true gentleman and a beautiful soul.

His note indicated that he was afraid that the monsters in his head were going to insite him to hurt someone.

I went on a mission shortly after his death to try to do something to help bring awareness to the suicide epidemic that our First Nation communities are facing.

No one in the family talked about my dad after his death.  It was all hush-hush.

My life has forever changed.

A part of my soul died that night. I cry as I am typing this.

…it’s a very very sad disease.

Our tragedy is still very raw but one day we will be ready to do whatever is in our power to make changes and help others.

I look forward to joining your crusade.

“what do we tell others?”…..”why can we not tell the truth?”….”but what will people think”?

I have so many questions without any answers

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share it is not very often I have the chance to get this off my chest,

I feel the need to possibly begin to share

Although her path was destructive in life, no one in my family was prepared

Tragically, 4 other friends would choose the same fate for themselves within the next few years.

My only child as well as my boyfriend…

He was 28.

I am hesitant, however may be interested in participating in your endeavour……..

…. left behind his girlfriend, one brother, his mom and step-father and his father.

…my past gone, my heart broken, my family in pieces – my lonely heart.

I never saw it coming.

I was 17 and my sister was 15…

The stigma surrounding mental illness overall is the most frustrating thing to me

Awareness is knowledge.  Silence is ignorance.

I sing at masses, which is something that I never thought that I would do again .

He had just turned 80 and ran out of willpower to live

Scott , I believe that you have opened the flood gates and you will be overwhelmed by the response.

But he felt no one took him seriously.

We’ll never know.

My father was a minister.

Although im not quite sure if im ready to tell my story.

He left a note.

My healing journey has included helping others heal

It was actually a parent of one of his students that sent me the information about your project.

..I am catholic so he was bad!!

He was my best buddy….think of him and it every day.

…the debilitating feeling of powerlessness in not being able to help our brother in his darkest hour.

Life will go on..without dad.

Me and my twin sister were living with our dad.

I was 23 mos old.I never learned the truth til I was 15.

I miss him horribly…He was a great guy.

She called me for my cookie recipe and there were no signs that anything was wrong.

I have 2 young children who do not know how their father died.

My son battled depression for many years.

The pain of losing someone you love so much and weren’t able to save is excruciating.

On the outside – folks thought everything was fine.

He left me with 3 young girls

My father was an amazing person

Again, STIGMA.

He talked to me about hope.

I’ve since moved on, as much as one can.

Best Friend

I would like to know what I can do to help

I am so glad that you are creating this book.

I would LOVE to be involved.

I continue to feel the need to share my story

Bravo for helping all of us share our pain out in the open.

Thank you for your courageous undertaking.

I too have so many questions…

everything seemed fine

I pray for all of those “left behind by suicide”

He loved to make people laugh

Our incredible son

He was dead before he jumped

I too lost my father to suicide when I was 16 years old

It is a very complicated and long story

How dare he. I miss you dad

The next day he simply disappeared

I commend you for this project. It takes courage.

The more dialogue about this subject the better.

My mother died by suicide when I was four years old.

At times I feel Lost, Pissed off, Sad, Miserable, Angry, Shattered, Hateful,Confused,Suffering,Guilty, Selfish, Misunderstood

I remember his handwriting

He will forever be in my heart.

We never hid his suicide from family and friends, we put in his obituary

My son was one week short of his 17th birthday

It was a message that I could not comprehend.

I lost my daughter, my only child

“Why?”

My family never talked about my aunt’s passing and I think if we had, maybe we could have avoided the loss of my brothers.

I wonder if our family will ever seem whole again.