Life After a Partner's Suicide Attempt is the first publication to document in depth the lived experiences of the partners of individuals who have attempted to take their own lives. Although no one has died, the ramifications are, nonetheless, life-changing and permanent. Research in suicidology has paid virtually no attention to these partners, other than to explore their role as caregiver. Based on a series of sensitively conducted interviews, Dr McGivern proposes a psychotherapeutic pathway towards recovery through exploration of personal trauma, relationship injury, reactivation of adverse childhood experiences, ambiguous loss, boundary ambiguity, as well as post-traumatic growth. He highlights implications for psychotherapy training and research and makes recommendations for practice and policy. Written with both the general reader and practitioners in mind, the author’s goal is to share the extensive insights he has gained through his research and in doing so, to give voice to partners worldwide who silently endure the aftermath of their loved one’s suicide attempt.
Introduction PART I 1 The Inspiration For This Book 2 Suffering the Trauma of The Attempt: It Put Nearly Ten Years on My Life 3: Adjusting in the Wake of the Attempt: It Shifted the Whole World on Its Axis 4 The Legacy of the Attempt: It Never Goes Away PART II 5 Setting the Scene: What We Know About Attempted Suicide and Its Impact on Others 6 Charting the Transformative Impact on Partners 7 Offering a New Pathway of Care for Partners and Significant Others Bibliography Index
