Families who have lost loved ones to suicide say the grief is lonely and the stigma is real [Video]

WARNING: This story contains discussion of suicide

Since losing her 21-year-old son in 2014, and his best friend a year later, Cheryl Wituik has made it a tradition to attend an annual walk that commemorates Londoners who have taken their own lives, and raises awareness for suicide prevention. 

The walk, held Tuesday night in London’s Victoria Park, has allowed Wituik to honour the legacy of the pair whom she remembers as “amazing young men who were very artistic and funny.” But the walk also helped her find a community with other families grieving a similar loss. 

“There are very few places that you can be with others who’ve experienced suicide loss because it’s very hidden, so having opportunities like this to share with each other about the people you’ve lost and ask questions is very meaningful,” she said. 

“Especially for the newer families, because they usually feel very isolated and alone in their loss so to come …