Surviving suicide loss: Black veteran’s wife shares journey of adjustment and healing

Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta VoiceEditor’s Note: September is National Suicide Prevention Month and The Atlanta Voice will feature stories of Black suicide survival and education. This is the first in what we hope can be a series of stories.Elaine Mayfield lost her husband, Marcus Mayfield, a United States Air Force veteran, to suicide one year ago. Elaine is now trying to adjust to life without him and discover her new normal.When Elaine thought back on the day of Marcus’s death, she remembered seeing minute indicators across the years. Elaine recalled noticing subtle signs over the years. “Marcus was very likable, very friendly, and always willing to help,” she remembered. “But over time, I noticed he was easily agitated and very sensitive about any failures.”It wasn’t until after learning about Marcus’s first suicide attempt, years before they met, that she became vigilant about his emotional cues. “He told me that suicide felt like an addiction,” Elaine said. “He had described it as a way out when things got hard.”According to the National Institute of Mental Health‘s website, women are more likely to receive mental health treatment than men, and men are more likely to die by suicide than women. Black...