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Grief and Loss Articles
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- What to Do When it All Falls Apart: 8 Tips From Personal Experience - by Submitted on Sep 25, 2017 from Catherine LenardWhether you're feeling trauma from recent losses or are experiencing grief in the aftermath of past events, know that you can and will get through it. Following are pointers from first-hand experience. Having experienced personal and professional losses within a relatively short period of ...
Views: 1645(1 vote) - “I Knew That Everything Would Be OK!" - by Submitted on Oct 23, 2017 from Oliver JR CooperAfter my father had been moved to a closer hospital, towards the end of 2011, we were pleased that it would be a lot easier to visit him. Even so, this was a time when he was on a life support machine, so it wasn’t as if we could have a conversation with him. There were times when I would ...
Views: 1645 - Grief Unveiled - by Submitted on Apr 28, 2011 from Natasha N. MackeyWhat do you do when all of a sudden your heart is pierced through with pain? The one you thought you would grow old with is suddenly lying lifeless in your bed. Or the hopes of a child fulfilling their divine call - your legacy - but instead their life is snuffed out like a candle wick. What ...
Views: 1641(1 vote) - Grieving Over Job Loss…It’s Allowed and It’s Necessary - by Submitted on Mar 03, 2009 from Peggy Titus-HallEmployees on either side of a large or small staff reduction (leaving or staying) suffer terribly over losing the people with whom they may have worked for as many as 10, 25, or 30+ years. You’re allowed to feel badly, to grieve. It’s a necessary process after the experience of losing your ...
Views: 1640 - Grief Neutralizes Thought - by Submitted on Jun 22, 2016 from Sheryl PaulWe are addicted to our stories. The thoughts come in and take us away on their magic carpet promise of arriving in a land of certainty, where the vulnerability and pain of life can't touch us. We learn early to climb aboard this carpet because, as young people, we usually don't know how to ...
Views: 1639 - ***Fear of Forgetting - by Submitted on Mar 26, 2009 from John AOVAfter my husband’s death I spent a great deal of time focused on remembering. At first the focus was confined to the day he died. My mind would check to see if all the details were included in my memories. As relatives gathered, the memory loop expanded. The remembrance became denser as others ...
Views: 1638 - What's the Right Amount of Guilt? - by Submitted on May 27, 2010 from Dr. Jeanette RaymondThe call came at 1:00 a.m. The call that never should have come. The call that Bruce would have moved heaven and earth to prevent. The call that ended everything when an apologetic voice dealt the fatal blow - his wife had suffered a heart attack at work and died. Medication just knocks him ...
Views: 1638 - Transforming Loss and Grief - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2010 from Tabitha JayneThere is a tendency in our society to talk about healing loss, like it is a physical wound. It reduces loss to nothing more than an illness to be cured. Our objective is to heal it as quickly as possible and get back to normal. This approach has failed us in our understanding of loss and made ...
Views: 1637(1 vote) - Grieving a Spouse - by Submitted on Feb 18, 2009 from Maurice TurmelLosing a spouse is a devastating experience. Our friend, our partner, our soul mate is now gone and we are lost. It feels as if a part of us has died as well. In my practice, helping individuals deal with the loss of their partner was a common occurrence. Young or old, surviving spouses had ...
Views: 1635 - A Sad Mother Asks God a Question - by Submitted on May 29, 2007 from Gloria WendroffDear God, I am trying to integrate Heavenletter, #697, What Does Sadness Teach You? It is so good, and I know I am in the verge of understanding it, but not quite getting it. I like the orchestra analogy and only hearing the low notes sometimes when the whole orchestra is playing. My ...
Views: 1633 - When Reality Sets In -- Dealing With The Stuff in the Family Home After The Loss of Your Parents - by Submitted on Apr 27, 2010 from Julie HallIt had been a week since Dad's funeral, and life was getting back to normal for Sharon. Despite the sadness of the occasion, it had been nice to be with her brother and sister and their families. She hadn't been to her dad's house since he went into the hospital. She dreaded walking into the ...
Views: 1631(1 vote) - Nurture not the Emptiness - by Submitted on May 17, 2013 from Rick Kanary“Grief can destroy you --or focus you. You can decide a relationship was all for nothing if it had to end in death, and you alone. OR you can realize that every moment of it had more meaning than you dared to recognize at the time, so much meaning it scared you, so you just lived, just took for ...
Views: 1629(1 vote) - Griever's Dilemma--How to Celebrate Mother's Day - by Submitted on May 07, 2011 from Sandy ClendenenMother's Day carries a lot of emotional significance for most grievers. Whatever one's relationship with Mother, this person is our first connection here on the Earth plane. This connection may have lasted a lifetime or it may have ended on the day of birth with adoption, or any number other ...
Views: 1628(1 vote) - Grieving the loss of a pet is normal and just as important as grieving the loss of a family member. - by Submitted on Sep 16, 2009 from Christina GarrisonThe relationship with our pet is one of the most important relationships in our lives. Our pets provide us with love, comfort, joy, and companionship throughout their lives. It is only fitting that we mourn them when they pass on. Grieving the loss of a pet is a healthy way for each of us to ...
Views: 1627(3 votes) - Coping Strategies After a Loved One's Suicide - by Submitted on Sep 15, 2014 from nancy traversIf you have experienced the loss of a loved one by suicide, you have a challenging journey ahead of you. Not only do you suffer heart wrenching grief from your loss, but also from the fact that she chose to take her own life. You may wonder if you could have done something to prevent it. You may ...
Views: 1625 - Suffering - by Submitted on Dec 05, 2009 from Andrew SchneiderThe most basic experience that all human beings have, which begins in the birth canal if not before, is that of pain and suffering or affliction. The fact of suffering, and how to deal with it and its effects, prompted the Buddha to present the Four Noble Truths. I like to refer to these as the ...
Views: 1625(5 votes) - Grief and StressSubmitted on Aug 25, 2010 from Grace TallmanGRIEF AND STRESS People who are grieving will experience a wide range of emotions. Anxiety caused by the stress of grief sometimes comes as an unexpected event. People are prepared to feel sadness, but anxiety seems a little more foreign. In order to help validate this very real experience ...
Views: 1622 - Using Intuition To Navigate Grief - by Submitted on Nov 01, 2008 from Sue FrederickWhen I work with clients, I see their gifts and potentials and what they came here to do. I also see their departed loved ones, who come to the session to offer guidance. This information comes to me as photographic images, words, and strong feelings that I transmit directly to my clients. I ...
Views: 1621 - Can You Keep a Secret? Maintaining Patient Privacy - by Submitted on Jun 19, 2014 from Allidah Hicks Bonnie KnutiYou visit your sick co-worker in the hospital or at home and he looks terrible. He's not sounding like himself and he's sharing way too much personal information. Then, you happen to see a pamphlet on the nightstand about a scary illness that you were not aware that he has. To top it off, some ...
Views: 1618 - Grief Counseling Self-Work - by Submitted on May 31, 2012 from Bob LancerOur lives send us through ups and downs. We expect that we will find a “key” that will unlock the mystery of perennial happiness, total clarity about what is going on, a firm and unending grasp upon the helm of our lives. But inevitably, as night follows day, we find ourselves back in the ...
Views: 1616(1 vote) - Finding the Blessings in Loss - Suffering is Optional - by Submitted on Jan 28, 2010 from Mabel KatzSometimes we are separated from a loved one by death. At other times, we distance ourselves or somebody we are with decides to distance himself or herself from us. Why do we become so attached and dependent and feel we cannot live without the people we love? Why do we lose our concentration ...
Views: 1615 - The Holiday Season: Anger, Grief, Gratitude, and Resolutions - by Submitted on Dec 20, 2010 from Jack EliasDecember is a complex time of the year for many of us. It is a time of blessings and celebration but for many it is a time of loneliness and sadness fueled by anger or grief. My experience of joy and celebration at this time of year is always colored by the fact that my dear mother passed ...
Views: 1615(2 votes) - Biographies of Gold Star Mothers - by Submitted on May 14, 2014 from Abigail FazelatAccording to a website called Army.mil, ever since WWI, mothers of fallen soldiers have dubbed themselves as “Gold Star Mothers”. The name derived from the Gold Star, a symbol in the military known for “loss and sacrifice”. Ever since 1936, September 29th has officially been recognized by the ...
Views: 1613 - Coping and Caring the Process to Healing - by Submitted on Feb 26, 2009 from Yvonne ClarkGrief is a strange emotion. It is a pain that bores down to our souls when a spouse or child, mother or father, sibling or friend is taken from our life. It is a storm of tears and anger, a string of unanswered questions. It is what remains after funeral and memorial services, when we are ...
Views: 1612 - A Good Way to Remember Those We Love - by Submitted on Feb 12, 2010 from paul cloughToday is the 2nd anniversary of my mother's passing and who knows what has prompted me to write this, other than to pass on some thoughts (or maybe just some personal ramblings). There's a line in a song: '...you left me here, to remind me of you' and that to me is a comfort, as long as I ...
Views: 1610 - 3 Mindful Tips for Dealing with Grief - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2019 from Julie PotikerWhen we experience deep loss in life – whether from the death of a loved one or a “death” in some other area of our lives – grief is a natural response, and it looks different for everyone. From outpourings of sadness or anger, to feeling shut down and closed off, to the countless variations in ...
Views: 1609 - The Stress of Moving After the Loss of a Spouse - by Submitted on Jun 22, 2011 from Sandy ClendenenWhen one loses their spouse, a top life stressor, the level of stress experienced can feel extremely overwhelming to the griever. Modern life is filled with stress. And this stress occurs on many different levels. There are the daily stresses of life which are often ignored as trivial. These ...
Views: 1605(1 vote) - Loss: Is It Possible To Get Over A Loss? - by Submitted on Dec 09, 2016 from Oliver JR CooperIn today’s fast-paced world, there is often the need for instant gratification, and when something doesn’t happen straight away, it can lead to all kinds of problems. This can be a time when someone will experience a strong emotional reaction, and the sooner they get what they want the sooner ...
Views: 1602 - Loss: Why Would Someone Idealise Another Person When They Pass On? - by Submitted on Aug 28, 2016 from Oliver JR CooperNo matter how old someone is, there is a strong chance that they have experienced loss at one point or another. In fact, this could be something they have experienced on a number of occasions. What this shows is that it is not necessary for one to reach a certain age before they lose someone ...
Views: 1602 - Finding and Losing Inner Child Love: Mourning to Morning and Back Again - by Submitted on May 06, 2015 from Mark GorkinAlas, the recent break-up of a nine year relationship was painful enough. But when my ex-partner’s daughter indefinitely suspended (if not permanently ended) weekly 3-5 minute Skypeing and my periodic visiting with her 3 ½ year old daughter (i.e., my ex’s grandchild), because the mother felt ...
Views: 1598 - How to Cope with Grief When You Have Clinical Depression - by Submitted on Feb 06, 2011 from Dave KanofskyOn Sunday night May10th 1998 at 9:18 pm, my life as I knew it changed forever. My beautiful wife of 21 years had died unexpectedly. She was a wonderful human being and she was my soul mate. Words cannot describe the feelings I experienced right after she passed away and for quite sometime to ...
Views: 1598(3 votes) - When a Loved One Commits Suicide - by Submitted on Sep 15, 2014 from nancy traversRobin Williams’ recent death left many of us, who didn’t even know him, feeling bereft. How could he, who was loved by millions, take his own life? How could his life have been so unbearable that he had to end it? And how do we cope with the aftermath? About 40,000 people in the U.S. commit ...
Views: 1597 - Did life just change? - by Submitted on Apr 27, 2011 from Carolyn BatesIt’s the morning after you’ve been to the doctor’s office, you have high blood pressure. Your “youth” is over. It’s the morning after you played three days of golf in a row; your “take-off” knee is double its size. You know that it’s time to schedule the replacement; you’re not thirty ...
Views: 1596(2 votes) - GRIEF AND LOSS: WAYS TO SHARE YOUR FEARS - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2010 from Louis LaGrandFear is arguably the most common hidden emotion that mourners delay confronting. The reason is obvious: no one wants to appear weak. Of course, that is inbred societal nonsense that we have all been subjected to since fear is an expected response whenever we feel threatened by circumstances that ...
Views: 1595(1 vote) - Humor Boosts the Sick and Weary - by Submitted on Jul 07, 2014 from Allidah Hicks Bonnie KnutiEveryone loves a good laugh, especially those who are going through tough times. Laughter gives a momentary break from the crisis at hand and the anxiety it brings. A touch of humor reminds us that the patient and the family are not defined by the illness, and that those who are sad and grieving ...
Views: 1594 - Healing Grief Through Creative Gifts - by Submitted on Oct 29, 2013 from Robert CrutchfieldWhen my grandmother passed away at 98 it was a very difficult time in my life. As part of the process of working through my own grief I wrote the following poem. Grandma Went Home On Mother’s Day She was the mother of a son and a daughter. She was the loving grandmother to five. She was ...
Views: 1593 - Seven Beliefs That Will Help You Cope With The Death Of Your Loved One - by Submitted on May 29, 2008 from Louis LaGrandThoughts and beliefs—both of which are choices you make—are the underpinnings of the attitude you take toward loss. They are the major factors in how you will cope with your loss and to what extent you will experience additional and unnecessary suffering. Regrettably, many of us have been ...
Views: 1590 - Living with Loss Part 1 - by Submitted on Sep 29, 2010 from Barnsley BrownLife is full of so many losses--Major losses brought about by fighting, divorce or separation, getting laid off, becoming ill, or dying. Then there are the minor losses, such as loss of a budding friendship, loss of a material object, even loss of hair. (Some may think this is a major loss, I ...
Views: 1589 - The Different Stages Of Grief - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2009 from Menno SpijkstraIt is very essential to understand and realize that recognizing or admitting the grief promotes the healing process. Grief in itself is a natural and normal reaction or response to loss. It happens in response to the loss of something or a person most especially close to you. The Stages of ...
Views: 1588(2 votes) - Mind the Gap: Living in the Space Between Loss and Healing - by Submitted on Jan 09, 2010 from Beth PattersonOne of the most difficult phases in any life transition is the space of the unknown between a loss or change, and healing or new beginning. All life changes, even positive ones, entail a sense of loss or grief. For example, there is a sense of loss in giving up addictive behaviors like ...
Views: 1587 - “I Wanted To Help My Father!” - by Submitted on Oct 16, 2017 from Oliver JR CooperIn the beginning of 2009, I had been working with someone for a little while, and this made me think about what it would be like to work with someone else. This was a time when I was doing a lot work around negative beliefs and past life trauma. What also played a part here was that the ...
Views: 1584 - From Grief Back to Joy - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2009 from Donna DeVaneWhen someone you love leaves the physical body the pain is intense. It feels as there a huge hole has been torn in your heart and gut. You are shocked, it's impossible to accept, to get your head around the fact that no longer will you be able to talk with your loved one. This is grief. ...
Views: 1578(2 votes) - Finding The Strength To Handle Grief - by Submitted on Jul 29, 2008 from Kim WiermanReplenish your inner strength while going through the grieving process Saint Augustine of Hippo – “Love is the beauty of the soul.” Just three weeks after my husband of 15 years passed away a family friend and psychologist said to me, “Even the Rock of Gibraltar needs to lean on someone.” It ...
Views: 1574 - ***Tips for Grievers, Surviving Valentine's Day - by Submitted on Feb 14, 2009 from Sandy ClendenenHow do you survive Valentine's Day when your special valentine is no longer around? 1) If you are feeling sad or depressed, be honest about it. In the past this may have been a special day for you and your loved one. But now you are alone. If you are sad, be being ...
Views: 1572 - When Love Hurts - by Submitted on Jul 16, 2009 from Michael Sean Symonds:So much has been said of friendship and love that it seems on one level redundant to even write about it. In my own life I have found insight, understanding, awareness and suffering, as I engage the pursuit of its experience and the never ending conversations that occur around the dance of its ...
Views: 1571 - Living with Loss Part 2 - by Submitted on Sep 29, 2010 from Barnsley BrownLoss is natural, even inevitable, as we discussed in Part 1 of this article. But why does loss have to be so hard? And what can we do to make it just a bit easier? How do we deal with grief? With loss? Even with grief about loss? Here are some suggestions: * Accept your feelings, particularly ...
Views: 1567 - Why... - by Submitted on Dec 12, 2018 from Ask Mary MacGreetings! As we begin to become friends, you will notice that I'm very frank with my language because I want you to heal and not go around the same emotional mountain for many years needlessly the way I had. The reason for that is so that you will learn from my experience since I didn't ...
Views: 1567(2 votes) - Words Of Sympathy - by Submitted on Jul 02, 2009 from Pam BrownWords of Sympathy People often stay away after something terrible has happened to a friend or loved one. They don’t stay away because they don’t care, but because they don’t think they can give any great words of comfort. We all know there are statements that flow from our mouths that should ...
Views: 1564(2 votes) - Loss of A Loved One: The Journey of Grief - by Submitted on Jan 28, 2014 from Moreen DuFermontLoss of A Loved One: The Journey of Grief Since no two relationships are ever the same, the grief that follows from this particular loss is also never the same. How could we possibly express the magnitude of the true loss we feel inside? We each experience loss and pain in our own personal ...
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