It's been eight years since I lost my brother, Matt, to suicide. Enough time has passed that I owe credit to myself. I will be honest, I did not think I could make it to this day, at least all in one piece. This anniversary, I am compelled to share some reflections on this journey of grief.

The day I lost my brother, March 4, 2017, was the day my worst fear became reality. In popular culture, there’s an idea that right before a person dies, their lives flash before their eyes. Well, when my brother died, my future flashed before mine. Cheerful images of Matt and me going through life together—rocking out at concerts, traveling the world as adults, being each other's best men…this future…gone.

The nature by which I lost my brother only worsened things. Although suicide is a leading cause of death, most people feel uncomfortable with the topic, and even put off by it. While our society has a playbook for supporting someone after losing a loved one to cancer, for example, there is no script for supporting someone after a suicide, even though each suicide affects more than 135 people.

Similarly, there is no obvious playbook for what survivors of suicide can do to make it through the nightmare. When I lost Matt, I remember thinking, “There is no way I can overcome this loss.” Well, years later, I have some guidance on how to survive after a suicide loss. Please recognize that this advice is........

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