After my husband died by suicide, my mental health plummeted and I found myself in some dark places. Eventually, I realised that hiding away, and fighting the changes in my life was futile, I had to accept and embrace my new reality 💛 #DaddyBlackbird #MentalHealth #SuicideLoss #Resilience #Hope

Every week in the UK, around 125 people die by suicide. Behind every number is a name, a story, and people left carrying heartbreak. We need braver, kinder conversations, because silence helps no one 💔 #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideAwareness #MentalHealth #EndTheStigma

In my latest Substack story, I reflect on a period marked by profound grief, hitting a personal low, and the very first steps toward rebuilding. ⚠️ Note: Along with reference to suicide loss, this article and video include references to self-harm. #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideLoss

Just because someone carries it well doesn’t mean it isn’t heavy 💔 Be gentle. People are holding more than they show 💛 #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideAwareness #MentalHealth #Wellbeing #Hope

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” | Dalai Lama 💛 #DaddyBlackbird #MentalHealth #Wellbeing #SuicidePrevention #Kindness #Compassion #Hope

“Hope. It’s like a drop of honey, a field of tulips blooming in the springtime. It’s a fresh rain, a whispered promise, a cloudless sky, the perfect punctuation mark at the end of a sentence. And it’s the only thing in the world keeping me afloat.” | Tahereh Mafi #DaddyBlackbird #BookSky #Hope 💛

❌ MYTH: “If I ask them about suicide, it might put the idea in their head.” ✔️ FACT: There’s no evidence that asking someone if they’re thinking about suicide makes them more likely to act on it. In fact, it can reduce distress and help someone feel less alone. #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideAwareness

Today is #SurvivorsOfSuicideLossDay 💜 My new piece, 'Questions, Questions, Questions', shares the hard questions that followed and how they shaped grief after Steve’s death 💔 I’ve also shared a short video on navigating these moments with children. #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideLoss #Grief #Hope

#SurvivorsOfSuicideLossDay helps people find understanding and connection through shared experience. It reminds us that even in the midst of loss, hope and healing are possible 💛💜💛 #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideLoss #Healing #Hope 🐦‍⬛

Today and everyday remember that there is no timeline for grief. You’ve earned the right to own it and do whatever you damn well please with it 💔 #DaddyBlackbird #SurvivorsOfSuicideLossDay #Grief #Hope #Love

✔️Stay in bed ✔️Cry all day ✔️ Shout and scream ✔️ Hug a friend ✔️Hug a goat ✔️Laugh in an empty room ✔️Go to the movies ✔️Eat too much cake ✔️Be angry ✔️Talk to a stranger ✔️Buy yourself flowers ✔️Buy yourself cheese ✔️Jump in a puddle #DaddyBlackbird #SurvivorsOfSuicideDay

❌ MYTH: It's obvious when someone is thinking about suicide. ✔️FACT: Some people show many signs. Some show very few. Everyone behaves differently. If you're worried, the best thing you can do is ask directly. It could save a life. 💙 #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideAwareness #MentalHealthMatters

Today is #SurvivorsOfSuicideLossDay 💜 My new piece, 'Questions, Questions, Questions', shares the hard questions that followed and how they shaped grief after Steve’s death 💔 I’ve also shared a short video on navigating these moments with children. #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideLoss #Grief #Hope

Ahead of #SurvivorsOfSuicideLossDay, I spoke with @rethinkcharity.bsky.social about my grief journey and how I now feel more hopeful about the future. You can watch my short film here... #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideAwareness #Grief #Loss #MentalHealth

❌ We don’t say “committed suicide.” We choose gentler alternatives, like “died by suicide.” Because no one commits cancer. Or heartbreak. It’s not political correctness. It’s kindness. #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideLoss #Grief #Hope

I used to think grief had a timeline. My workplace definitely did. But it doesn’t work like that. It shifts, softens, spikes, surprises, years later. Not because we’re failing to ‘move on’, but because love keeps living alongside us. Missing someone does too 💔 #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideLoss

This time yesterday I was travelling to Westminster for the launch of the new British Standard on Suicide and the Workplace (BS30480). It’s been called trailblazing and life-changing and I’m proud to have written the accompanying First Steps Guide. An incredible experience. #DaddyBlackbird

One thing I wasn’t prepared for after Steve’s suicide was how messy the “systems” were. Police, coroners, schools, services… everyone trying, but none of it joined up. You’re navigating the gaps no one warns you about. And it’s in those gaps that real compassion is needed most. #DaddyBlackbird

You don’t need perfect words. You just need presence. If someone tells you they’ve lost someone to suicide, don’t panic. Say: I’m so sorry. That must be incredibly hard. Then stay 💛 #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideLoss #Grief #Hope

Your tribe is the anchor when storms arise and the wind beneath your wings when you soar. When you need to feel hope, look for it in the people around you 💛 #DaddyBlackbird #MentalHealth #Wellbeing #SuicideLoss #Kindness #Compassion #Hope

❌MYTH: It only happens to certain people. ✔️FACT: #Suicide doesn’t belong to one gender, culture, age, or group. Although we know it’s more common among men, it can affect anyone. We all have a role to play in noticing, listening, and supporting 💛 #DaddyBlackbird #ChangeTheNarrative

The Greek word for trauma literally means “to pierce one’s armour.” It breaks through our emotional protection leaving us exposed. It explains why grief can feel raw and overwhelming. If you’re grieving, recognise the pain - go slowly and go gently. #DaddyBlackbird #Grief #SuicideLoss

The school run should be a safe place. But after Steve’s suicide, it became a moment of impossible questions, hidden grief, and invisible burdens. Read about it in article #30: Suicide is not the subject for a school run ❤️‍🩹 #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideLoss #Care #Compassion #MentalHealth 🐦‍⬛

❌ MYTH: You should be ‘over it’ by now. ✔️ FACT: There’s no deadline for grief. We don’t move on, we move forward, carrying what we lost. #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideLoss #Grief

Some places are meant to be ordinary. The school run should be one of them. But after Steve’s suicide, it became a place of impossible questions, hidden grief, and invisible burdens. Read about it in article #30 ❤️‍🩹 #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideLoss #Postvention #Care #Compassion #MentalHealth 🐦‍⬛

❌ MYTH: Only close friends and family are affected by a suicide. ✔️ FACT: One single suicide touches on average 135 people - from friends to colleagues to strangers who saw themselves in the story. #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideLoss #SuicideAwareness #Postvention #GriefHasNoRules

Whether it’s a friend, family member, colleague or complete stranger, please check in on someone today. It matters more than you know ❤️‍🩹🐦‍⬛ Take care of yourself and each other. Caroline 💛💛💛 #DaddyBlackbird #SuicidePrevention #Postvention #Hope

Loss by suicide is trauma like no other. “Amor Fati” is about facing the unbearable, not accepting the act that caused the pain, but choosing to live fully with what remains. Resilience isn’t quiet; it’s a fierce willingness to keep going 💛 #DaddyBlackbird #AmorFati 🐦‍⬛

When Steve died by suicide, I wasn’t just a widow grieving my husband, I was suddenly parenting double. Double the emotions 🤯 Double the logistics 🤯 Double the decisions 🤯 And no one to share the load, or the fear, or the responsibility, or the 4:30am wake-ups.. #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideLoss

Simon Sinek’s “get in the mud” idea is simple but powerful: real empathy means being present with someone in their struggles, not trying to fix them. Sitting in the hard, messy moments together can be more healing than any advice. #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideLoss #Grief #Support #Kindness 🐦‍⬛

When Steve died by suicide, I wasn’t just a widow grieving my husband, I was suddenly parenting double. Double the emotions 🤯 Double the logistics 🤯 Double the decisions 🤯 And no one to share the load, or the fear, or the responsibility, or the 4:30am wake-ups... #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideLoss

💛💛💛 #DaddyBlackbird #MentalHealth #Wellness #Healing #Hope 🐦‍⬛

Put the heavy load down for a moment 💛🙏 #DaddyBlackbird #Wellbeing #MentalHealth #Hope 🐦‍⬛

💛💛💛 #DaddyBlackbird #MentalHealth #Hope 🐦‍⬛

“When we share our stories, it opens up our hearts for other people to share their stories. And it gives us the sense that we are not alone on this journey.” Janine Shepherd 📚❤️📣 #DaddyBlackbird #SuicidePrevention #ShareYourStory #BookSky #Help #Hope 💛🐦‍⬛

Symbols are not magic, but they are meaning - and sometimes, meaning is enough to help us keep moving. After Steve’s suicide, the blackbird became a symbol for me and my children. It carried meaning, and that meaning led to hope 💛 #DaddyBlackbird #BookSky #Meaning #Loss #Hope #SuicidePrevention

Suicide grief can be very different because it often involves intense feelings of guilt, shame, and unanswered questions. It can also carry stigma, making it difficult to find the right support. Survivors must learn to live in this harsh landscape. #DaddyBlackbird #Grief #ComplexGrief

Halloween can be a welcome distraction 🎃 Christmas brings warmth and ritual 🎄 But Father’s Day? Just survival 💔 My latest #DaddyBlackbird piece explores the ache, the marketing cruelties, and the questions no parent should face. 🖤 Father’s Day Can F!&k Off #Grief #SuicideLoss #SuicidePostvention

“Hope. It’s like a drop of honey, a field of tulips blooming in the springtime. It’s a fresh rain, a whispered promise, a cloudless sky, the perfect punctuation mark at the end of a sentence. And it’s the only thing in the world keeping me afloat.” | Tahereh Mafi #DaddyBlackbird #BookSky #Hope 💛

This week’s #DaddyBlackbird article is about the fragile quiet after the storm has passed: escaping the chaotic, controlling relationship and returning to the raw grief of #suicideloss. Starting again is hard; it’s about choosing what to carry, and what to let wash away... #MentalHealth #Grief

Five things Steve would love this week: 🎃 Pumpkin carving with the girls 👻 Trick or treating 🌤 Blue skies and winter sun 🚴 Crunching over leaves on his mountain bike 🧣 Putting on a scarf & leaving it there til March Reminders of another season without him 💔 #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideLoss

MYTH: “If I ask them about suicide, it might put the idea in their head.” FACT: There’s no evidence that asking someone if they’re thinking about suicide makes them more likely to act on it. In fact, it can reduce distress and help someone feel less alone. #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideAwareness

After a storm comes that fragile quiet — unsettling but welcome. This week’s piece is about that space: escaping chaos, leaving control behind, and facing the raw grief of suicide loss. Starting again is hard; it’s about choosing what to carry, and what to let wash away. #DaddyBlackbird #Grief

It’s ok if today didn’t go quite the way you planned it 💛 The sun rises and we try again ☀️ #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideAwareness #MentalHealth #Hope

Asking questions like ‘Are you feeling suicidal?’ are the start of a conversation that can save a life. People don’t take their own lives because they’ve been asked these questions– they take them because no-one asked, and had the chance to hear the pain in their response 💔 #DaddyBlackbird #Hope

You carry wreckage and wildflowers in the same hands. That’s not weakness. That is hope 💛 #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideAwareness #MentalHealth #Trauma #Healing #Hope

Days like today remind me why I do this work 💛 People want to talk about suicide, they just need a safe space. Curiosity, listening, and real stories open doors to empathy. Postvention and prevention matter. Every conversation helps switch the story, step by step. #DaddyBlackbird #Hope 🐦‍⬛

Never be afraid to speak out about the challenges you face. The tough days are normal, the difficult times are real, and your voice needs to be heard 💛 #DaddyBlackbird #MentalHealth #Wellbeing #SuicidePrevention #Hope

Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50 in the UK. Opening up saves lives. Let’s break the silence together. 🗣️ #DaddyBlackbird #SuicideAwareness #MentalHealthMatters #ItsOkayToTalk #MenNeedSupportToo #EndTheStigma

This is the truth behind many suicidal thoughts. Listen with compassion. Respond with care. People in pain don’t need judgment, and they don’t need solutions - they need connection. #DaddyBlackbird #MentalHealthMatters #YouAreNotAlone #SuicidePrevention