'Brother's death drove my suicide loss focus'

Therapist Linzi Meaden specialised in suicide loss support after her brother took his own life in 2020

A woman created her own online resource to help others who lost friends or family to suicide after her brother took his own life.

Linzi Meaden, a therapist from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, launched the resource after she specialised in suicide loss support following the death of her brother, Stuart, in 2020.

She now runs bereavement support programmes and a community group online, following the success of initiatives including a virtual choir and craft workshops during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I feel so strongly about making support accessible to everyone," she told the BBC.

"Just go online, talk to others. Somebody will know of somebody who can help you."

The mother of two is an ambassador for charity Suicide&Co, which launched an app on Wednesday to support people bereaved by suicide.

• If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this story, support and advice is available via BBC Action Line

Ms Meaden said her brother's death when he was aged 48 came "totally out of the blue", but "completely turned our world upside down".

Her family found itself "in a place where we felt very isolated, very alone", she said.

Ms Meaden said due to her training with trauma, she had "worked very hard to to deal with my own trauma".

"But the grief that comes with suicide loss is very complex," she added.

"We have the added layers of unanswered questions of not knowing why and even when."

Ms Meaden said her brother Stuart's death was "totally out of the blue"

Ms Meaden said she thought "as a society we need to make it our business to start looking out for one another".

She added: "I think we do need to really start to slow down and really start caring more about others but also ourselves."

The therapist spoke to the BBC on 10 September - World Suicide Prevention Day.

Ms Meaden said the awareness day "is so important for us to talk about a topic that a lot of people will shy away from".