ABOUT
MSL NETWORK
Community, Advocacy
& Understanding
For all people affected by murder-suicide loss events
We are the first and only non-profit, postvention community for survivors of murder-suicide loss (MSL) events. Our mission is to provide a supportive place for MSL survivors to grieve, cope, and heal.
We offer peer-led virtual support groups to our members along with a member's space for survivors to connect on this site.
If you are a survivor who has lost one or more people to murder-suicide, we are sorry you had to look for us. But we're glad you found us.
Community
You are not alone. After a murder-suicide loss, you may feel devastated, isolated, and stigmatized.
We founded this group to provide hope and community for those experiencing life after this rare type of loss, which, unfortunately, is an everyday occurrence in the United States.
The loss of multiple people after this type of suicide loss is incredibly complex to navigate. This stands true if you feel more connected to the victim, perpetrator, or both. If you identify as a survivor of this type of loss, or have faced this loss and aren’t sure how you identify now, we provide a supportive circle to explore healing within.
We welcome all survivors of murder-suicide loss, regardless of their relationship to those who died. We emphasize welcoming all kinds of survivors of this type of loss as we understand, for many people, you cannot “choose sides.” Our objective is to leave participants with a tool, skill, connection, or new perspective to help them move toward their healing goals.
Survivors include, but are not limited to, the following circumstances:
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Attempted murder-suicide survivors
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Child and step-child loss
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In-law loss
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Friend loss
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Parental and/or step-parental loss
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Sibling and/or step-sibling loss
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Spouse, ex-spouse, partner or ex-partner loss
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Witnesses of murder-suicide with or without direct connections to the victim and/or perpetrator
Advocacy
We work to raise awareness of the unique difficulties of MSL to help build more resources for survivors.
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September 21, 2024: Northwestern Community Services Board, Suicide prevention resource fair exhibitor, Front Royal, Virginia (MSL)
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September 28, 2024: Speaking of Love podcast (virtual)
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October 12, 2024: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Out of the Darkness Walk exhibitor, Stephen’s City, VA (MSL)
Understanding
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Provide a supportive place for survivors of murder-suicide loss to share their experience, thoughts, and feelings regardless of their relationship(s) to the victims and/or perpetrators.
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Provide constructive ways to grieve, cope and heal.
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Remove or work to reduce the stigma and shame an individual might feel with this often misunderstood and complex type of suicide loss.
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Help participants leave with a tool, connection, or new perspective that helps them move toward their healing goals.
GROUP GUIDELINES
(hover over horses)
I am a survivor of suicide loss, a zebra among horses;
distinct from those who have lost a loved on by other means.
I feel separated from the herd, corralled by such a loss.
I do not grieve the same as you. My challenges are very different.
I cannot respond to things as you do, and nothing anyone can do or say can remove this pain from my heart or the questions from my mind.
My grieving process is complicated, it has added stripes,
I am a zebra among horses. I may appear to be like you, but inside the differences are as marked as the striped that distinguish a zebra from a horse.
This knowledge that I am different wears on me like a heavy, ill-fitting saddle.
I am a zebra among horses;
I am like you, yet not like you
Peter J. Warshaw, April 2011