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The Leftover Pieces: Suicide Loss Conversations
Suicide loss changes everything. This show is about life after suicide—real talk and practical support for grief after suicide: parents, partners, siblings, and friends finding their footing again. Each week, we explore what helps in suicide bereavement so you can keep going with honesty and hope.
Hosted by Melissa Bottorff-Arey, whose 21-year-old son, Alex, died by suicide in 2016, the podcast blends intimate conversations with survivors, healers, and mental health experts with short solo “Daily Nugget” episodes you can actually use. We cover child loss, trauma and nervous-system care, anniversaries and seasons, stigma, faith and meaning, legacy, and the everyday practices that make life livable again. You’ll hear grounded tools, language that honors your person, and the reminder that you are not broken—you are grieving.
For supporters and educators, these episodes offer insight into the realities of suicide grief and what genuine, non-fixing support looks like. If you’d like to share your story or expertise, you can request to be a guest via my website. 💜
Content Note
This podcast speaks candidly about difficult experiences and may feel activating. We avoid method details and graphic description. Please care for yourself as needed. I’m not a doctor or licensed therapist; nothing here is medical or mental-health advice.
The Leftover Pieces: Suicide Loss Conversations
Wrap Pt 1: Hope in the Hollow + Healing in Motion After Suicide Loss
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TODAY --We started by finding light you could actually hold, then practiced repairs small enough to repeat.
Journal prompt: “What I’m keeping from these first two weeks is…”
Gather three flickers that worked for you—window light, their bracelet, a five-minute witness. Then build a mini rebuild stack you can run in ten minutes: one body reset (3-3-6 breath or warm/cold contrast), one Brick-of-the-Day (clear a square, pay one bill), and one connection move (five-minute witnessing ask or self-witness memo). Step by pinning a note titled “Weeks 1–2 Keepers” so it’s one tap away on rough days.
Choose-your-energy menu:
- Hollow (low): Do one flicker only. Stop there.
- Healing (medium): Run the mini stack with a timer and drink water afterward.
- Becoming (higher): Schedule the mini stack three times over the next seven days.
To end today:
You don’t have to remember the whole month when grief blindsides you—just where to begin. Ten minutes of practiced care beats an hour of bargaining with yourself. Keep your kit within reach. Familiar steps don’t trivialize your pain; they give it rails to run on so you can make it through the day you’re in.
Exhale. Keep what serves you; leave the rest. I’ll be here again tomorrow. 💜
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Get THE Leftover Pieces APP & don't miss anything! CLICK HERE
💜 The Leftover Pieces is support central for grieving hearts.
🔗 Stay connected: Join my free email community for weekly check-ins, resources, and encouragement.
🌟 For moms: Explore the $9 Lighthouse Community — safe connection, tools, and hope.
🛠 Resources for all grievers: Start here.
🤝 One-on-one grief coaching for moms after child loss to suicide: Learn more here.
📞 Need help now? If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 in the U.S. & Canada, or text HOME to 741741.