SUPPORT GROUP

Survivors of suicide loss need support. 

The Okanagan Suicide Awareness Society support group is a place where we come together with no shame, and help each other heal the wounds of the untimely deaths. 

Survivors often experience shared themes as they move through the grieving process. A support group offers survivors the freedom to share, knowing that they are not alone. 

The magnitude of the pain and grief of a suicide loss is beyond what one can comprehend. The sense of guilt , the sense of abandonment, and the sense of shame are just a few of the many complex emotions with which each survivor will come face to face. The long term stigma and taboos which are closely associated with suicide do not make the healing journey any easier. In fact, our silence makes it really difficult for survivors to move along in their healing and feel supported by others who may also be grieving a suicide loss.

OSAS recognizes both the need for survivor support and the shortage of any current support resources. OSAS will host a support group once a month year round. This is a place where survivors of suicide loss can come together to form connection and support. Go to Events, you will find out the information on our support group meetings. 

Last year, Okanagan Suicide Awareness Society participated in the National Survivors of Suicide Day sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Kelowna was one of the more than 130 conference sites to broadcast a survivor program which features a panel comprised of survivors of suicide loss and medical experts. This year, OSAS will again participate and join many other cities to host this event. It will be an opportunity to allow survivors of suicide loss to share their grief, reach out for support and support others.  To learn more, please visit www.afsp.org.

OSAS Suicide Survivor Support Group
You are very welcome to join us on the fourth Wednesday of each month. We meet at 7:00pm at CMHA, 504 Sutherland Ave, Kelowna, BC. Dates in 2012: