The voluntary death of a loved one can evoke mixed reactions in those close to that person. The broader community’s reaction may also be varied. While many people support the concept of dying with dignity (rational suicide), there is still a significant minority who may be shocked. It cannot be assumed that there will always be sympathy for those left behind.
Where a person has died ‘of their own hand’, counselling may be of assistance for those left behind. The ability to talk things through can be therapeutic and can go a long way towards easing grief and despair.
Private grief counsellors can be found in most countries. There is even a new profession known as ‘death walkers’ who can help loved ones ‘to respond as well as they can to difficult news, or to the shock of a sudden or challenging loss’.
