This is a wonderful article, Melissa.
I cry for the loss of your dear brother to suicide.
Your words are personal to me and no doubt any other people reading this article.
I have a dear friend grieving the loss of both of her sons to suicide. One recently, the other about 11 years ago.
Time never softens the pain.
I have had many friends and my nephew's suicide over the years.
It is more personal though. I suffered from PTSD and instead of seeking help self-medicated on alcohol and marijuana.
I felt so useless and ashamed, I figured suicide would release my friends and family from the burden I represented.
I tried and failed and ended up in a mental health hospital that was a living nightmare.
The stigma ostracised me from virtually all family and friends.
I did get better and have written about these experiences through portray and articles on Medium.
Like you, my perennial message to those in grief is to reach out and share and normalized this burgeoning illness, that nearly 30% of all of us suffer from some form of depressive illness, which is a dangerous state of health.