Well over 500 people commit suicide every year in New Zealand. Yet this is an issue that, generally, is not openly discussed in our society. This book is an attempt to break this silence, by letting those who have been affected by suicide talk about their experiences. In Breaking the Silence, survivors of suicide attempts, alongside those who have lost children, partners, parents and friends talk about how they have coped with their trauma. As well as these accounts, a range of professionals who deal with the consequences of suicide relate their experiences - including a psychologist, counsellor, doctor, policeman, coroner and an accident and emergency nurse. These are powerful stories, and through all of them a common belief emerges: our community desperately needs to be more open about suicide. This book offers hope with courageous stories of how people have coped with the death of a loved one, or overcome despair in their own life.