FOR IMMEDIATE HELP
By Don M. McNulty © 2023 COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
The effects of suicide devastate those loved ones and those left behind to pick up the pieces. It is an issue that can take a severe toll on any individual or family, leaving behind emotional, physical, spiritual, and financial destruction.
Dealing with the death of someone by suicide can be tough for their family and friends, as they face a mix of emotions like shock, guilt, grief, and anger. The constant reminders of the person’s death can make it hard to move forward and heal from the tragedy. Feelings of betrayal or abandonment will affect these people for months and years after the fact.
Those affected by suicide may struggle with depression or anxiety because the death created a sudden void in their life. Experiencing a death like this can make it hard for people to trust or form close connections from fears of a repeat occurrence.
Financially, suicide can present many roadblocks as well. The costs of funerals and medical expenses can be overwhelming. We often forget about the damage to the home where the death happened, especially if it was a traumatic event involving a gunshot.
A persistent myth that insurance doesn’t pay for anything related to suicide isn’t true.
Life Insurance won’t pay if the suicide occurs within the specific time frames stated in the policy. If the policy coverage is $200,000 or more, the time frame mentioned is six months, up to two years, but it can be three years if the decedent had coverage ranging from $500,000 to one million or more.
But any death by suicide after those requirements will be paid by the insurance provider, with no questions or delays.
Most homeowner policies pay for the structural damage to be remediated, cleaned, and repaired.
One type of policy doesn’t pay for the indemnification of the property. A Named Peril Policy, Ho2 only pays for what is named as covered, and they never name death and mayhem. These policies are rare compared to an Ho3 homeowner or an Ho6 Condo owner’s policy. The latter two types of policies should pay for the structure to be restored, less the deductible.
If the deceased was a main economic supporter for their family, this could leave them without the proper income resources when needed.
When it comes to suicides, there may be Spiritual questions about why and confusion regarding forgiveness for everyone involved. It’s hard for many to balance honoring memories of the deceased and finding inner peace.
It is possible to heal from a loved one’s suicide with time, patience, and support from loved ones. You don’t have to go through it alone – help is available, there are counseling services and support groups.
I always urge families and friends to attend support groups as a bare minimum to help cope with these events. I strongly suggest counseling because I’ve seen it help individuals come to terms with their resulting hurt and anguish and the ability to move on with their lives more quickly.
THE LAGECY OF SUICIDE
Studies have shown that suicide can increase the probability of another close family member taking their life by more than two and a half times than other families who have no history of suicide.
The cause can be many things, from a family history of mental illness to the ideation of suicide to escape the pressures of life, many times stemming from unresolved issues from the initial suicide the family suffered. These feelings of self-demise are among the most significant reasons to follow through with counseling and support groups. Everyone needs to be aware of these very real statistics and ensure we support close family and friends who may give thought to self-harm.
How might you know if these thoughts are in their minds? Warning signs that a family member might contemplate suicide can be subtle and complex to detect. It is essential to look for signs of pervasive sadness, isolation, withdrawal from activities that used to bring joy, reckless behavior, substance abuse, or talking about death or wanting to die. Straight talk is also essential. We cower many times at the thought of having these conversations, but I assure you that if you feel you should and don’t speak and that person either attempts or successfully commits suicide, you’ll live with regret most of your life.
If you think someone in your life is at risk of taking their own life, getting them the help, they need, is essential.
The Remediation of the Structure
For example, the damage to the structure left behind from blood and bodily fluids can be extensive, including the contents inside the damaged area.
Our work is like an onion, where we peel back the layers until there is no further damage.
In most of our work, we are removing carpet and pad. If there happens to be a hardwood floor with damage, that flooring area will usually be removed, too. If the damage is heavy or we have evidence fluids have gone beyond the subflooring, we will remove that section of the subfloor. The remaining structure, such as floor joists, can be sanded or plane it to remove contamination.
Another example today is that many floors are covered in plank floor covering, either vinyl or composite flooring. Even though this floor is supposed to be waterproof, it doesn’t perform as a waterproof barrier, and on most occasions, we must remove the flooring.
CRIME SCENE CLEANERS, LLC
The Crime and Trauma Scene Cleanup (CTS) Industry exists to help families and businesses in these situations. Speaking for Crime Scene Cleaners, LLC, our company culture carries our belief that we sell Care — Compassion — and Peace of Mind; our work is how we express it. We do this work because we believe no one should be victimized twice. The family has been victimized once through the incident, but it would be wrong to allow more emotional harm if they had to go into the area to remediate and clean it themselves.
If you or your know of someone who needs our services, please call 1-800-909-2939.
If you work in an industry that comes into contact regularly with individuals and families who experience this type of loss creating damage within their homes, please contact our office. We would like to speak with you on how help can be given to these families in faster terms. The last ting anyone wants would be leaving a family struggling to search for help during a time like this. Our services area covers the states of Missouri and Kansas, the adjacent areas of Omaha, NE, and the top northern counties of Arkansas.