After her 55-year-old son took his own life earlier this month, Pat Hallenberg of Albany spent two agonizing weeks tracking down a mid-valley support group for people who've lost loved ones to suicide.

"I didn't need a grief support group," said Hallenberg, 73. "I needed a group specific to suicide survivors. I don't want to diminish death by cancer or car accident - I've lost people that way too - or anything else, but this is different. It's much worse."

Wanting to spare others in her situation the anguish of delay and isolation that she felt, Hallenberg visited the Democrat-Herald on Thursday.

She sought the paper's help in letting people know about the group she's become connected with, Corvallis-based Support After Suicide. And she also wanted to gauge interest in starting a similar organization in Albany to help those touched by what she calls the suicide "epidemic."

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, someone in the U.S. kills himself or herself every 18 minutes.

The Corvallis group Hallenberg joined meets twice a month, the first and third Thursdays, at the conference room at the Linn-Benton Community College Benton Center, 757 N.W. Polk Ave. Meetings start at 4 p.m. and usually run until 5 or 5:30. There is no charge to attend.

Professional counselor Lynn Bain of Philomath, herself a suicide survivor, facilitates the meetings, which are designed as a chance to offer support and encouragement and to share information about resources such as books, websites and counseling.

For more information about Support After Suicide, contact Bain at 929-2844 or lynn.bain@linn

benton.edu, or Carol Abreu at 740-1624 or casa7135@

comcast.net.

Anyone interested in helping Hallenberg form an Albany-based group can contact her at 926-5846 or sundaycat@comcast.net.