The Imperfects Karissa Lewis - We're Not Better Off Without You
Sep 7, 2025
Karissa Lewis, a lived experience practitioner with Social Futures, provides valuable insights into the aftermath of suicide. She highlights the importance of postvention as an essential form of prevention and discusses the emotional impact on communities, especially in schools. Karissa shares strategies for communicating honestly with children about grief and suicide, aiming to reduce stigma. The conversation emphasizes that every life matters and the powerful role of community support in mental wellness and healing.
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Suicide's Broad Impact Zone
- Nine people a day die by suicide in Australia and about 135 people are impacted per death.
- The impact zone includes family, witnesses, first responders, schools, workplaces and entire communities.
Childhood Loss And Lasting Resolve
- Karissa describes her mother dying by suicide when Karissa was ten and the chaotic, confusing aftermath for her family.
- She shares how her mother's note said "we were all better off without her," and she insists, "Life is not better off without you."
Professionalise Lived Experience Work
- Postvention (support after suicide) acts as powerful prevention when done well and must be professionalised.
- Lived experience needs boundaries, training and supervision to help rather than harm.