For anyone trying to understand how and why suicide happens, here is a provocative exploration of the subject. Colt interviewed hundreds of people who have had intimate encounters with suicide to unveil the mysteries that surround this tragic phenomenon.

An authentic portrait of grief, as poetic and soul-lifting as it is poignant. In 1994, William Ritter’s adult son committed suicide, sending Ritter and his family on a journey no family wants to take. Part of Ritter's own process of healing the loss of his son was to preach about it occasionally from the pulpit. This book is a collection of the sermons he preached, the first one just three weeks after his son’s death, and the final one nine years later. Through them, we get a glimpse of a father and a family struggling honestly with their pain and gradually coming to grips with their loss. Ritter offers no easy solutions, no rosy pictures, and no silver linings, but speaks honestly instead about the difficult emotions and confusion of this kind of loss, and ultimately, about a sense of hopefulness for the survivors of suicide. “With the language of a gifted poet, the eye of a portrait artist, and the heart of a faithful pastor and loving parent, Bill Ritter takes us on a poignant God-shaped journey toward healing and wholeness—his and ours.” —L. Georgory Jones, Dean of Divinity School and professor of theology, Duke University.

This different autobiographical look at [child abuse] studies the remorseless erosion of a girl's sense of self-worth. In the last chapters Paula Quinn shares how she painfully managed to achieve a desire to live. [recovery][psychology][women]

While garnering the attention of professionals across disciplines, from medicine to public health to psychology, and frequently covered as a topic of public concern in the news media, the elevated occurrence of suicide attempts among LGBTQ persons has received little attention within the literature of theology and religious studies. This book fills that lacuna by addressing the role that religious, spiritual, and theological narratives play in shaping the souls of queer folk. Taking a narrative approach to qualitative interview material from LGBTQ individuals who survived their suicide attempts, Cody J. Sanders argues that theological narratives can operate violently upon the souls of LGBTQ people in ways that make life precarious and, at time, seem unlivable. The book critically addresses the violence of theological narratives upon queer souls, filling a crucial void in scholarship concerning the role of religion—specifically Christianity—in LGBTQ suicide. Ultimately, the author draws upon the interview material to move readers toward constructive methods of contributing to the resistance and resilience of queer souls in relation to soul violence, asking how we can intervene with practices of care in order to cultivate livability of life for queer people.

By offering a psycho-spiritual approach in dealing with the problem of suicide, Dr. Ken Stifler provides perspective, hope and the possibility of God's grace by speaking directly to the individual who is contemplating suicide, survivors who continue to struggle with suicidal thoughts, relatives, friends and colleagues who have been directly affected by another's suicide, individuals personally struggling with feelings of despair, helplessness and hopelessness, anyone who knows others affected by these issues. As William Sneck, SJ, pastoral counselor and spiritual director, notes in the Foreword: The book is very personally written, deriving as it does from [Dr. Stifler's] years of experience working with suicidal persons. It contains concrete, practical suggestions about how such persons can reframe their gloomy thoughts, and what they can do. This wonderfully wise and helpful book is a tool in learning to live one's life better, overcome the trials that everyone encounters in life and live a spiritually-oriented life. Book jacket.

Offers powerful, life-changing partnerships with heavenly rescuers, practical tools and priceless insights for suicidal people and their loved ones to allow light to transform a dark world. This book will save lives.

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

"This work also includes extensive material from Brothers Forever: An Unexpected Journey Beyond Death Copyright A1996 by Joseph Mark Gallenberger, Ph.D."--Title page verso.

“[An] acute and powerful vision . . . offers a renaissance of humane values.”—Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul and The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life Plato called it “daimon,” the Romans “genius,” the Christians “guardian angel”; today we use such terms as “heart,” “spirit,” and “soul.” While philosophers and psychologists from Plato to Jung have studied and debated the fundamental essence of our individuality, our modern culture refuses to accept that a unique soul guides each of us from birth, shaping the course of our lives. In this extraordinary bestseller, James Hillman presents a brilliant vision of our selves, and an exciting approach to the mystery at the center of every life that asks, “What is it, in my heart, that I must do, be, and have? And why?” Drawing on the biographies of figures such as Ella Fitzgerald and Mohandas K. Gandhi, Hillman argues that character is fate, that there is more to each individual than can be explained by genetics and environment. The result is a reasoned and powerful road map to understanding our true nature and discovering an eye-opening array of choices—from the way we raise our children to our career paths to our social and personal commitments to achieving excellence in our time. Praise for The Soul’s Code “Champions a glorious sort of rugged individualism that, with the help of an inner daimon (or guardian angel), can triumph against all odds.”—The Washington Post Book World “[A] brilliant, absorbing work . . . Hillman dares us to believe that we are each meant to be here, that we are needed by the world around us.”—Publishers Weekly