It's never easy to plan the funeral of someone who was close to you, but when that person has passed away as a result of suicide, this entire process can be more difficult. You'll want to lean heavily on your funeral director, as he or she can step in to manage the details that you may not have the energy to address during this period of deep grief. You have a few different options when it comes to addressing the cause of death. While some people might ensure that the service never mentions suicide, other families may see value in being up front about this difficult topic. Here are some funeral-related elements that you might want to include.

Suggestion For Donations

Although many funeral attendees have a habit of contributing flowers to the service, you can specify in the obituary if you don't want flowers. In this situation, it may be appropriate to steer people toward making a financial donation instead of giving flowers. A donation to a suicide-prevention group is a logical choice. Sometimes, you can find a group that is more specific to the person who has passed — for example, a teen suicide group or a group that helps veterans who are considering suicide. Otherwise, a general mental health organization can be a worthwhile recipient of peoples' donations.

Discuss It In The Eulogy

If you feel as though you're able, you may want to think about talking about suicide in the eulogy. While some families will want to steer clear of this topic, actually bringing it up and shining a light on it can remove some of the stigma around suicide. Perhaps the person who has passed had a long battle with mental health issues and had several suicide attempts. There's no shame in openly talking about this person's journey. You may find that people approach you afterward to express thanks, and that your words may positively impact someone else's life.

Have Resources Available

Another way to be open about the person's cause of death is to have resources available for people who may be struggling themselves. If you visit a mental health organization in advance of the funeral and pick up brochures, you can leave them on display on a table somewhere in the funeral home. This way, people who may be facing their own struggles can ideally pick up a brochure and perhaps feel compelled to ask for help. You may also wish to have business cards for a local grief counselor on hand. This can especially be valuable in the case of a teenager's suicide, as his or her peers will likely be taking the news hard.

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