'Nothing off limits' at suicide bereavement group

"Having that mutual understanding of other people just really helps - nothing's really off limits."

Ben, who lives near Banbury, lost his brother Jake to suicide in 2023, and began attending a Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) support group to help him manage his grief.

Having recently moved to north Oxfordshire, he has now helped form a new group for people who have lost family and friends to suicide.

The Banbury group is one of two in Oxfordshire, and meets on the first Thursday of each month from 18:30 GMT until 20:30.

"With suicide, there's a lot of different kind of emotions that can come along with it, a lot of questions, a lot of guilt, and a lot of shame or stigma," Ben explained of his brother's loss.

"The circumstances as well, that someone takes their own life, can be difficult for family and community tensions."

"It can really cause a lot of trauma for a lot of people - suicide is a very specific sort of grief."

Shortly after his brother's loss, Ben began attending a SOBS support group in Watford - near to where he had been living at the time.

"I think I knew immediately after losing my brother that speaking to other people who've been through something similar could help as it can quite isolating," he said.

"Because of all the questions and the guilt you feel, you think often that you're the only one who's going through that and you think that you're the only one who's experiencing similar things."

"Actually, a lot of the emotions and things that we go through are the same."

"You all go through very dark moments, but having that mutual understanding of other people just really helps."

Having recently moved to Banbury, Ben helped start a SOBS group in the market town.

"It's a place where people could be open about their grief and what they're going through, and hopefully get support from others who've been through the same thing," he said of the group.

Of the group's name, he said: "The reason that it is called Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide is because we really do believe that it's something that you survive."

"It's something that you get through - and people are still are dealing with the ramifications of it years after."

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the BBC's Action Line.

You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.