The Jasmine in
the Forest

I read an article recently from news.com.au "The unspoken link between income, occupation and suicide" and as I read it, my heart started beating faster. The reason? Because I've been in such financial despair at times in my life that I also had thoughts that there was no other way out. My saving Grace, is that I've experienced what it's like to lose people to suicide, in particular my brother Gary who took his life, so that's always stopped me from thinking there was no othe

I had to take a double take when I read that the Lead Singer of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington, had committed suicide. Could this be true? This amazing talented person, who had wealth, fame and love, took his own life? Surely this wasn't true! It was! Then waves of emotion flooded my soul. I have been through this awful grief; losing my brother to suicide. Apparently Chester Bennington never recovered from the death of his friend, another music legend, Chris Cornell. Chris

As someone who has lost family members to suicide, and the Patron of www.support.org.au I urge anyone who is feeling 'hope-less' right now to watch this Ted Talk. #Suicide

Recently I have been following the news regarding the suicide of a young mother who jumped from a cliff with her two year old toddler. It's been a very distressing story to follow and interesting to read the comments of some people. I get infuriated when people say "it's a cowardly thing to do". I think that's a ridiculous statement because jumping from a cliff would be a very un-cowardly thing to do, it would be terrifying. Now imagine doing that with the child you love in

I belong to an exclusive club called ‘Those of us left behind after a suicide.’ Though exclusive, it's not a pleasant club. There are no leisure activities, no dream vacations. No one ever applies for this club membership. Many members do not even want you to know they are in the club. In this club, members deal with grief. They must also take on two different types of grief; one for their own life, left bereft and empty because their loved one is gone, and another one, a de

Painting by Gary Steven Doran 25.11.63 - 2.11.1998 My brother Gary Doran took his life when he was 34 years of age. I was deeply traumatised by his death and it took me years of grieving to finally come to terms with it. In 2007 I had a psychic reading which was so profound that I have never forgotten it, it in fact why I have put feathers on this website. The clairvoyant told me that my brother would send me a parcel in the mail, and I thought it was the most outlandish thin