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Grief and Loss Articles
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- Let Us Bury The Stages Of Grief -Ffor Good! - by Submitted on Oct 04, 2008 from Ursula WeideOn April 17, 2007, one day after the Virginia Tech massacre of 32 students by another student, the Washington Post published an article entitled “Survivors of Shootings Grieve in Stages.” The author quotes an "educator" who counseled Columbine survivor families as describing specific, ...
Views: 1848 - EMOTIONAL /SPIRITUAL RECOVERY FROM TRAUMATIC EVENTS - by Submitted on Apr 19, 2017 from Janet PfeifferLife can change in a heartbeat. A few weeks ago, a family was stopped at a red light and rear-ended by a drunk driver. Their 10-year old son, Matthew, suffered a severe head trauma and is in a medically induced coma. The prognosis is not good and the family struggles to make sense of what was an ...
Views: 1847 - What Will Your Last Words Be? - by Submitted on Nov 09, 2009 from Gina GardinerThe loss of someone you love is always very difficult but out of bereavement comes a golden opportunity to examine your priorities and to re-evaluate the way things are done. The loss of my brother made me think about many things at a personal level and also it gave me the opportunity to ...
Views: 1847(2 votes) - When A Loved One Dies: What to Expect - by Submitted on May 30, 2011 from Cristina MardirossianDealing with Grief & Loss Shock, Denial, Numbness, Disbelief -The pain exists, but you may not experience it fully yet. Your body, mind, and spirit take over to help you survive. Physiological symptoms can include: stomach aches, nausea, & insomnia -Grief does not always get easier as ...
Views: 1844(1 vote) - Grief Reclaiming your life after a loss - by Submitted on Feb 11, 2011 from Elizabeth McNallyAll kinds of losses can make you feel like it’s the end! Some are worse than others. Whether it is a separation, a divorce, a death, it will wind you out! The grieving period will extend according to your needs and one day, you will feel the need to claim your life back. Life’s ...
Views: 1842 - Little Girl Lost - by Submitted on May 21, 2012 from TC TahoeI have had many memorable moments performing magic over the years. I have been fortunate to have been honored with awards from my peers. I have been hired by celebrities like Pirece Brosnan, Minnie Driver Steven Segal. I have worked on movies with Sean Penn and Albert Finney and Jack ...
Views: 1842(1 vote) - Yoga For The Grieving Child Lessons From Grief Camp - by Submitted on Mar 31, 2008 from Lorna Bell"Ma'm, do you want to see my "stork pose?" I looked into the earnest,lonely eyes of a young boy, who had, just that morning, rolled his eyes at the "lame" concept of doing yoga to ease his broken heart. Now, he sought me out, to share his success with the pose, and to gain approval and gentle ...
Views: 1842 - Five Thoughts That Help Us To Survive Survival - by Submitted on May 19, 2010 from Sharon MikrutIn life, we are all survivors, whether or not we think of ourselves that way. When we experience our first love and break up, our hearts are broken and we don't think that we will ever survive. But somehow we do, and eventually we meet someone new. When we lose our first job, whether we are ...
Views: 1839(13 votes) - Grief, Healing, and Wholeness - by Submitted on Sep 09, 2015 from Janet PfeifferElizabeth Kubler-Ross defined the five stages of grief in her 1969 book, On Death and Dying. Grief is a deeply personal process and each individual experiences it on their own terms. Some may endure all five stages, others only a portion; some progress in a seemingly reasonable period of time, ...
Views: 1837 - It's Okay to Cry - by Submitted on Feb 26, 2009 from Yvonne ClarkIt’s Okay to Cry “Give sorrow words, the grief that does not speak knits up the o’er wrought heart and bids it break.” Shakespeare A grieving infant, child or adolescent needs help establishing appropriate expressions and outlets for grief. What is grief to one child or adolescent may not be ...
Views: 1826 - Butterflies Can Help Us - by Submitted on Mar 20, 2013 from Ian ScottThe Butterfly in all its glory is a symbol of transformation, hope, faith, and love. Its most important role however is the remarkable gift it gives to us, in understanding death and rebirth unveiling the process of re-incarnation. Another extraordinary example of the butterfly is its ability ...
Views: 1822(1 vote) - *** Emerge Beyond Your Grief - by Submitted on Aug 21, 2009 from Sandy ClendenenThe grief process can be compared to the transformative process of the butterfly. Grievers oftern find themselves stuck inside the safety of the cocoon of grief. There is a sense of feeling lost in the darkness of grief. There is a push-puss feeling that often occurs during grief. Grievers ...
Views: 1820(2 votes) - LOSS AND GREAT CREATOR’S ROLE IN OUR EXISTENCE - by Submitted on Jan 27, 2018 from Jennifer WebbLOSS AND GREAT CREATOR’S ROLE IN OUR EXISTENCE During these end/beginning, contrived and natural times, many are experiencing loss of many kinds on many levels, including grief of all sorts. As intelligent beings, we question why and how and where is God, our Great Creator. This experience ...
Views: 1820 - Grief: Is Grief A Mental Illness? - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2015 from Oliver JR CooperAs time goes by, more and more normal human experiences are being given labels, and what was part of life at one point in time, ends up being seen as a mental illness at another. For example: if one was experiencing anxiety in the past, they might believe that it is just part of life. It is ...
Views: 1818 - Does Heartache Suck? - by Submitted on Sep 04, 2007 from Richard Singer Jr.This seems like a silly question I know! Of course it sucks; in fact any kind of pain sucks when we are in its grasp. If you are alive and human you have certainly experienced your share of heartache throughout your life. This pain is a significant part of our experience on this planet; without ...
Views: 1815 - Coping With A Loved One's Death - by Submitted on Oct 21, 2010 from Helen Mendes LoveIn our ASK THE DOCTOR section of our website, we recently received the following question: "Why is the sting of death so difficult to deal with?" Bob P. I answered: Dear Bob; I assume that someone important to you has died. That death may ...
Views: 1809 - An Excerpt from Setting the Captive Free (Simington, J., 2010). An Art- based Approach to Healing Wounds of Grief and Trauma - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2011 from Dr. Jane SimingtonFor a number of years I offered programming for women who were deeply grieving; all of them had experienced significant and, in many cases, lifelong trauma. I heard in their life narratives elements of my own story; I heard their soul pain, for in many ways it mirrored my own. I recognized that ...
Views: 1806(1 vote) - 5 Tips you CAN do to help the grieving!! - by Submitted on Jun 04, 2012 from Jane GalbraithWho hasn’t heard or said themselves “I just don’t know what to say.” Or “I feel so helpless – there’s nothing I can do!!” Well there ARE things that you can do or say to help those in pain due to the death of a loved one. We can help, and not just in little ways, and it makes a tremendous ...
Views: 1801(1 vote) - Grief is more than an emotion - by Submitted on Feb 15, 2011 from Tamara ThomasGrief is more than an emotion. Like love, it goes much deeper. Emotions are generally temporary and subject to change with surrounding circumstances. A child gets a good grade on a test. She is happy and proud (two emotions). Rain dampens a planned party. The hostess is disappointed and ...
Views: 1801(1 vote) - Death Bed Thief - by Submitted on Apr 27, 2010 from Julie HallExploitation can raise its ugly head in the midst of unsuspecting situations. Such was the case with the Garvey family (not real name). Mom and Dad Garvey were about the nicest people you'd ever wish to meet. Their three adult children lived nearby; they loved to have all the grandchildren over ...
Views: 1798(1 vote) - Why Do I Feel the Way I Do? - by Submitted on Apr 08, 2015 from Janet PfeifferPeople often believe that they are slaves to their emotions: "I hate feeling like this but I can't help it." Some are ashamed of their emotions and try to hide them; still others find some to be offensive, frightening or sinful. But the truth is that all feelings have purpose and value. They are ...
Views: 1795 - Not Forgotten – Remembering Folks Long After a Trauma or Death - by Submitted on Apr 28, 2014 from Allidah Hicks Bonnie KnutiWhether it’s the anniversary of a public event like the Boston Marathon bombings or the Columbine shootings, or a not-so-public anniversary of a friend or neighbor’s tragedy, it’s important to reach out and show that you have not forgotten. Many folks will jump in to help right away and that is ...
Views: 1791 - Choose Happy! Tools for Living a Resilient Life - by Submitted on Nov 26, 2012 from Sandy PeckinpahDid you know Happiness is a choice? You are the one in control of making that decision every single day. It's hard to fathom when it feels like the whole world and the economy are in chaos. However, I learned through tragedy and ultimately triumph, I could choose "happy," no matter ...
Views: 1789(1 vote) - Keeping you relationship strong through the death of a child. - by Submitted on Jul 18, 2011 from Dr. Jane SimingtonNavigating Turbulent Waters of Grief? Tighten the Life Vest on Your Relationship For more than thirty years, I have been a professional, helping people as they move through difficult life experiences. I am also a bereaved mother whose son was killed when he was 13 years of age. My therapeutic ...
Views: 1788(3 votes) - Emotional Support for Line of Duty Death Survivors - by Editor's Note: This article has appeared in the Los Angeles Firefighter magazine, Responder magazine, the BackUp (Law Enforcement CD-ROM), and the Police Stressline.
The headlines report the grim news of yet another "fallen hero". The death of a firefighter or law enforcement officer who ...
Views: 1784 - Love... Loss... Grief - by Submitted on Nov 30, 2007 from Yvonne ClarkGrief through the eyes of kids By: Yvonne Butler Clark, M.A. How do we talk to kids about grief? Our kids today are bombarded with loss and separation. The death of parent, sibling, or friend, separation from a parent in the military, grandparent parenting, foster care and/or incarceration. ...
Views: 1784 - Healing Our Heart - by Submitted on Jan 15, 2013 from Maureen Brennan MercierHealing our heart is a multifaceted process that takes patience. The first step is to acknowledge that our heart is broken. Whether it is through the death of a loved one, a relationship ending or a betrayal in a close relationship the broken heart will heal. Once we accept the pain and ...
Views: 1774(1 vote) - The Sweetness of the Leaving - by Submitted on Aug 23, 2009 from Regina MurphyMany years ago, I fell in love with the movie “Pay It Forward” and the theme song “Calling all Angels” by K.D. Lang which was also the theme song of the TV show “Beauty and the Beast”. I really couldn’t understand the meaning of the words at first and was sure I heard the words wrong. As I ...
Views: 1773(2 votes) - Dealing with Personal Tragedy - by Submitted on Jan 13, 2017 from Michael MalkushYou have heard it before. Life is short, enjoy each day. Live every day like it is your last. Everything in life can change quickly. In a brief moment your life can be turned upside down. None of us know when we will die or when someone close to us will. This is my story about the ...
Views: 1769 - After Death Communication: Do Some People Try To Contact Their Loved Ones To Avoid Facing Their Grief? - by Submitted on Aug 13, 2015 from Oliver JR CooperWhen some people lose a loved one, they may think that that’s the end of it and that it’s not possible for them to talk to them again. In this case, they will have to rely on their memories and the memories other people have. There are then going to be others to believe this is not the case, ...
Views: 1768 - Anniversaries of grief - mark them well - by Submitted on Jun 06, 2011 from Tamara ThomasOnce again, the month of May presented personal challenges. Memorial Day brings with it my own personal day of remembrance – the anniversary of my daughter’s car crash and death. This May marks three years. Each year, as the date has approached, I have tried to convince myself that it would ...
Views: 1768(1 vote) - Could your excess weight be a form of protection? - by Submitted on Oct 28, 2010 from Julie SimonI recently saw the play Ruined at the Geffen Theatre here in Los Angeles. It was an extremely moving and poignant story of the sexual and emotional abuse of women in the war-torn Congo. In this fictional story, some of the female Congolese refugees were "lucky" enough to find work and shelter in ...
Views: 1764(1 vote) - Addressing the Spiritual Concerns of Those Who Are Moving Through Grief and Trauma - by Submitted on Jan 13, 2011 from Dr. Jane Simington1). It is important to recognize that trauma and the resulting grief can result from war crimes, torture, terrorist activity, kidnapping, family violence, assault, sexual abuse, child deaths and other sudden or violent deaths. Other events and circumstances, while not commonly categorized as ...
Views: 1763(1 vote) - The Importance Of Planning: It Is Not A Question Of If, It Is Always A Question Of When - by Submitted on Feb 09, 2010 from Beatrice Toney BaileyOften, I have been asked why I wrote my book, Farewell, My Friend (FMF), so I have decided to tell you. My husband’s battle with lung cancer was an arduous journey for both Rick and I. It is a journey that many other caretakers have or will have to take during their lifetime. FMF is ...
Views: 1760 - The Power of Love - by Submitted on Feb 11, 2013 from Dr. Jane SimingtonThe Power of Love A number of years ago, while attending the Trauma Recovery Certification training, a teacher who worked with troubled youth remarked that by the end of the year she wanted all the children to know that God loves them. In response, I invited her to ponder if a better ...
Views: 1760(3 votes) - Death into New Life - by Submitted on Sep 27, 2009 from Deb ScottDeath into New Life: When my mom, and best friend (Rachel) passed away in 2005, I was left dead with her. In the depth of pain, I never felt or saw anything good in her passing. I took comfort she was happier in heaven, than suffering the slow death of cancer eating away at her, but in ...
Views: 1759(4 votes) - Febuary - The Month of Love, Mystery and Forgiveness - by Submitted on Feb 03, 2009 from Mary Jane Hurley BrantMary Jane Hurley Brant, M.S., CGP Author of When Every Day Matters: A Mother's Memoir on Love, Loss and Life The month of February focuses our attention on love. Cards are bought, candy is given, kisses abound. What is it about love? We simply cannot get enough of it. "I love you" and "I'm ...
Views: 1757(3 votes) - How to Choose a Good Therapist - by Submitted on Oct 25, 2010 from Mary Jane Hurley BrantEver wonder about how to choose a therapist? Today I would like to share my thoughts on this important question. I believe a client can feel more understood when the therapist has clinical experience with the situation the client is bringing to therapy. And, if the therapist has the same ...
Views: 1750(2 votes) - Keeping A Positive Attitude - by Submitted on Nov 20, 2009 from Ellen GerstA woman was shopping when an adorable little statue caught her eye. It was fun, and she had to have it! Once at home, she examined the purchase more closely and realized it was a metaphor for her life. She had bought a “Woo” doll, and the attached tag read: “The Woo is a benevolent force ...
Views: 1749(5 votes) - Grieving: Why Do Some People Try To Stop Others From Grieving? - by Submitted on Sep 27, 2015 from Oliver JR CooperWhile there are plenty of things that separate human beings, they are also plenty of things that bring them together. For instance, no matter what someone’s gender is or where they are from on this planet, they are still part of the human race. There are of course many other ways in which ...
Views: 1747 - Writing A Death Notice Or Obituary - by Submitted on Sep 21, 2010 from Menno SpijkstraA loved one’s demise is a very painful experience. An obituary or death notice is one significant way of honoring his or her life. The word “obituary” generally applies to the notice in a newspaper announcing a person’s demise. When the time comes in writing obituaries, it won’t be an easy ...
Views: 1736 - Dealing with guilt - by Submitted on Jan 08, 2010 from M.Farouk RadwanAlways feeling guilty I am sure you are aware of the feelings of guilt that comes when you do something that you didn’t want to do, but do you know that you could be feeling guilty for your whole life for something that you are not even aware of?? Feelings of guilt arise as soon as you do ...
Views: 1733 - A Slow, Impending Death or a Sudden Death? Which is More Difficult to Deal With? - by Submitted on Jun 09, 2013 from Dora CarpenterDeath, no matter what the cause, is always unexpected and a shock. I know this, and as a death care professional and grief coach, I teach this. Working over 12 years in the death care industry, I’ve seen the emotions of death and grief. I’ve assisted hundreds of families with prearrangements, ...
Views: 1732(1 vote) - Embrace the Gift of Life - by Submitted on Jul 07, 2016 from Mike RobbinsOn January 7th, 2016, my big sister, Lori Dempsey Robbins, passed away after an almost four year journey with ovarian cancer. Lori was 45 and the single mom of our 11 year old niece. She was my first friend and one of my greatest teachers. Being with her through her illness and her death ...
Views: 1730 - Loss: Should Someone Let Go Of Another Person's Possessions After They Have Passed On? - by Submitted on Oct 20, 2015 from Oliver JR CooperWhen one losses someone, they may feel the need to let go of their possessions soon after. Or if they don’t feel this way, the people around them may encourage them to have clear out, so to speak. It could be said that the reason this would be seen as a good idea is that when something is ...
Views: 1727 - Dealing with Holiday Stress and Grief - by Submitted on Nov 16, 2012 from Mitzi WoodThe holidays are supposed to be a happy time of the year. We have time off, we get to see our families, our kids are excited about this magical time of the year, etc. But for many people the holidays only mean stress, anxiety, and grief. If you have lost a loved one, you may be experiencing this ...
Views: 1725(1 vote) - A Friend Died Today - 5 Ways To Cope With Loss, Grief and the Fear Of Your Own Mortality - by Submitted on Jan 31, 2009 from Jonathan HuieAs I write this, the house is quiet. My wife and her good friend are attending a funeral. Their long-time mutual friend and fellow artist, who I never met, died suddenly at 62, leaving a husband in chronic ill health. I first became aware that death - for anyone - is never far away when a ...
Views: 1722(2 votes) - A poetic Prayer for memorial Day. - by Submitted on May 26, 2011 from Carl Tuchy PalmieriA poetic Prayer for memorial Day. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Remember them Remember Him Remember them Remember him They died to keep us Free He died for you and me Remember Them Remember Him They were wounded ...
Views: 1719(1 vote) - ***The Heart Rock Story - by Submitted on Jul 15, 2011 from Karen Mehringer, MACruising on I-90 form Washington back to Colorado, John and I are ready for rest after eight hours of driving. We stop at a campground with easy access to the freeway, just outside of Missoula, Montana. Fortunately, the campground is practically empty. We set up camp among tall ponderosa pines ...
Views: 1718(2 votes) - Child Abuse: Why Would Someone Only Say Nice Things About Their Parents After They Have Passed on? - by Submitted on Jan 08, 2018 from Oliver JR CooperThere are likely to be a number of people out there who not only have plenty of good things to say about their parents now that they passed on, but who had good things to say about them when they were alive. When something like this takes place, it could be said that someone valued their ...
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