Julia, Teacher & Suicide Loss Survivor: On My Experience Losing a Sibling

By Julia Tachibana, Middle School Educator, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Advocate, Survivor of Suicide Loss

My high school was very supportive in the aftermath of my younger brother's suicide in 2003. I appreciated the initial email the principal sent to the whole school community--it was well-written and respectful of my family.

Grief counselors were immediately invited on campus and it was reassuring knowing there were adults young people could connect to if they were struggling. I took advantage of this and was happy to have someone to talk to. Moreover, my teachers were understanding of my situation and flexible with my workload and due dates.

One thing I would change is to increase the support for siblings of suicide loss in particular. This type of loss is very specific. When tragedy occurs, the attention tends to go more towards parents and sometimes the siblings are overlooked. I would have liked to have known other students/young people in the same position as me.