Support groups may be found on the Internet in your specific area. National support groups include
For Bereaved parents and siblings
Compassionate Friends are helpful and you will find yourself speaking to another bereaved parent who will have some understanding of your pain -
UK National 0345 123 2304 (9.30 - 4.30 Mon to Fri) or access the web site
NI helpline 0288 77 88 016 or email to: helpline @ tcf.org.uk (without spaces)
Bereavement counselling
Cruse - 0808 808 1677
Bereaved by suicide?
SOBS (Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide
0300 111 5065 National helpline 9am to 9pm every day. There are local numbers on their web site
http://uk-sobs.org.uk
Personal thoughts from founder of APRIL, Millie Kieve
This music composed by my son Daniel expresses so much words cannot.
Song for Karen - composed and played by Daniel Kieve
Loss of a loved one is so hard to bear, be it due to sudden death or following an illness.
Those of us who have lost a child, lover, relative or friend following their adverse effects or withdrawal effects of medicines also have regrets we had not foreseen or been able to prevent the death.
I have written poems and prose to express my pain.
I cannot underestimate the value of bereavement counselling which helped me following the death of my daughter Karen.
The loss of a loved one is hard to bear, for those who lose a child at whatever age, there is the added grief due to expecting our children to outlive us. For siblings it is an indescribable loss- an organisation that helped me and consists of parents and siblings who help each other is Compassionate Friends.
I made a 4 minute film around my daughter's experience you can find from this link - it is called Medicines Madness. This short video features Dr Andrew Herxheimer, a Clinical Pharmacologist, I respected for his knowledge and how much he cared for people. He believed our experiences should be heeded and doctors should listen closely to their patients. He was a Clinical Pharmacologist, former editor of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin and he had worked for years in the area of patient safety for the Cochrane Collaboration and the organisation he co-founded in Oxford healthtalk.org - Sadly Andrew Died in 2016. A great loss to APRIL and the cause of patient safety.
Some talented people will put their words to music.
Ana Silvera expresses her feelings in this remarkable composition which is part of a songcycle she composed, assisted by cellist Jon Cottle. It was performed at the Roundhouse in 2011.
Ana's brother died before he reached the age of 30 due to adverse reactions to a prescribed psychotropic drug.