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Grief and Loss Articles
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- Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One - by Submitted on Oct 04, 2010 from Grace TallmanThe Suicide of a Loved One How to resolve the feelings of guilt and regret If only I had made more of an effort to engage my brother Henry more at our family Thanksgiving get-together. If only I had called him more often. If only I could have understood what was going on in his ...
Views: 2194 - The Death of a Child - by Submitted on Dec 04, 2011 from Dr. Jane SimingtonThe Death of a Child Originally Posted on July 14, blog Indestructible Relationship by Kimberly Pryor Today, I’m turning The Indestructible Relationship blog over to an award-winning author and therapist I met recently at a conference in Philadelphia. Her name is Dr. Jane A. Simington, PhD, ...
Views: 2194(4 votes) - 5 Tips for Coping with the Death of a Loved One - by Submitted on Nov 14, 2017 from Dixie SomersThe death of a loved one can be a devastating event. Many people find that the loss undermines their ability to work, engage with others and participate in normal activities. The feelings that arise may be profoundly upsetting. That is why the process of grieving is so important. Grieving helps ...
Views: 2187 - The Secret to a Peaceful Life - or The Fear of Death - by Submitted on Sep 30, 2012 from Sheryl PaulWe all long for a peaceful life. We search for peace through the mediums that our culture sells: through spending, watching television, searching the Internet, finding the “perfect” partner, having a baby, and a variety of other misguided methods. We even meditate, practice yoga, and attend ...
Views: 2187(1 vote) - ***How to Survive the Holidays: Tips for Grievers - by Submitted on Dec 17, 2008 from Robin KThe holidays can be a very difficult time for those who are grieving. The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends. The holidays are all about traditions such as special meals or special trips or special gifting rituals or special gatherings. I remember my first holiday ...
Views: 2175 - The ripple effects in the aftermath of the largest mass shooting in US history have traveled well beyond Aurora Colorado - by Submitted on Aug 16, 2012 from Suzane NorthropWe are all connected. A tragedy such as this is proof that though we may not know any of those who have passed personally (or their family members and friends), the experience nonetheless hits a core in all of us. Death — especially one of this magnitude — awakens the fragility of life. Most ...
Views: 2165 - 8 Ways to Let Go - by Submitted on Sep 30, 2011 from Vanessa CodorniuSometimes when things come to an end, we feel more than slightly lost. When a relationship, friendship or job ends it could seem to crash our world. Our blood, sweat, tears, hopes and often life-long dreams seemed to be shattered. Other times the endings are not so serious and yet they tug at ...
Views: 2164(1 vote) - The Orphan Club - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2009 from Annette GonzalezHere I am sixty years old, without parents, without accountability to anyone but myself, staring at mortality and a member of the orphan club. This is a club I or others do not aspire to belong. There is no age limit, no occupation restrictions, no ethnic or gender requirements, no time limit, ...
Views: 2151 - Spiritual Healing for Your Grief When You Have Lost a Loved One - by Submitted on Jun 14, 2009 from Aliya NicholaisenThere are many reasons to cope with your grief and confront unresolved issues that you may have regarding the loss of someone special. It can affect your life on so many different levels, from your physical health, mental well-being, your ability to cope with life's responsibilities, to your ...
Views: 2149(3 votes) - Handling Loss – Five Steps To Help Yourself & Others - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2009 from Sharon MikrutPeople often tell me that they don't know what to say when someone experiences a loss. I explain that often times the person experiencing the loss simply needs to talk. You don't need to say anything; just be there to listen and support the individual. However, most people are still ...
Views: 2146(4 votes) - ***How to Cope with Grief during the Holidays - by Submitted on Dec 15, 2011 from Karen Mehringer, MAThe holidays can be challenging enough with all of the busyness of the season, but if you’ve experienced a major loss such as the death of a loved one, this time of year can be extremely difficult. Family gatherings where your loved one is not present can leave a huge void. Past memories of ...
Views: 2141(2 votes) - How to Create a Memorial Guest Book to Remember Your Loved Ones Forever - by Submitted on Feb 02, 2008 from Lesley MattosPlanning a funeral and coping with the emotional time surrounding this event can be very stressful. Quite often after all the arrangements have been made and the services are over, the family is often left with only a vague memory of the friends and family members who gathered. Creating a unique ...
Views: 2129 - EFT For When Your Dog Is Diagnosed With A Terminal Illness - by Submitted on Jan 11, 2016 from Suzanne ZachariaIf this is for you, let me say that my heart goes out to you, as I know from experience what it feels like when you are faced with this situation. There are decisions to be made, in order to keep your beloved fur-baby comfortable and as free from suffering as possible. It is heart-wrenching, no ...
Views: 2117 - Embracing Grief - by Submitted on May 06, 2012 from Anne BaigentEmbracing grief and seeing it as part of life’s’ normal cycle of events, when dealing with life changes will assist in seeing a clearer path moving forward and dealing with the events leading you to this place in time. Remember grief is not just the result of death, but any major life changing ...
Views: 2117(1 vote) - Surviving Loss and Thriving Again - by Submitted on Jun 10, 2012 from Tina TessinaNone of us wants to think about it, but the standard definition of a totally successful relationship is the old, traditional “til death do us part.” Any time we love, whether it’s a life partner, a dear friend, a child, a sibling, a parent or even a beloved pet, we are risking the loss of that ...
Views: 2116(1 vote) - ***Dive into Life! - by Submitted on Aug 12, 2011 from Karen Mehringer, MASobbing, I exclaimed, “I finally have my life back!” Sitting on a catamaran on a beach at Mission Bay in San Diego last week, my step-mom, sister, her boyfriend and I took time out to celebrate my brother, Kyle’s life on the anniversary of his death. He had been gone for twelve years now. We ...
Views: 2115(2 votes) - ***Allowing Grief; Awakening New Possibilities - by Submitted on May 25, 2012 from Karen Mehringer, MAWhere two rivers joined, I spotted a large dead Ponderosa pine which had fallen down a steep ravine on its side, half of its trunk submerged in the water. Carefully navigating my way down the ravine, I felt excited….This was the first day of my vacation and the tree was the perfect place for me ...
Views: 2114(1 vote) - Coping with Grief - by Submitted on Jan 12, 2012 from Linney ElderDark Days and Lonely Nights……. The dark pit of grief that yawned below my feet threatening to swallow me whole for weeks after my loved one’s death from cancer is finally fading and the overwhelming grief is subsiding to a dull ache in the middle of my chest. People kept telling me that ...
Views: 2107(1 vote) - Grieving through the Holidays--Three Steps to Cope - by Submitted on Dec 15, 2011 from Dr. Lorrie LauerOne of my favorite Christmas tree ornaments is a green ball my Father and Step-Mother gave me. It has little rocking horses on it with the words, “Baby’s First Christmas” for my son, Jared. It wasn’t just because it was Jared’s first Christmas that made it so special; it was because it was ...
Views: 2087(1 vote) - Loss: Why Can Loss Hurt So Much? - by Submitted on May 15, 2013 from Oliver JR CooperThis is something that can affect someone in many ways and as a result of many things. Some losses can simply be ignored and forgotten about and then there are others can are harder to forget. One can also lose something and never forget the loss; regardless of how much times goes by or what ...
Views: 2080(1 vote) - 5 Steps to Facilitate Communication with the Dearly Departed - by Submitted on Jan 17, 2011 from Christy MartinAre You interested in opening up yourself to talking to spirits. Are You willing to receive messages for yourself and others? Have You lost someone and wish to make contact? When I do a psychic reading for someone, I know I’ve reached the connection with them when I sense their guides in the ...
Views: 2076(1 vote) - Grieving Child Receives Reassuring Letter from God - by Submitted on Oct 04, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsYou never know what to believe on the Internet, but Scopes.com verified with a local newspaper that the events recounted below by Mrs. Joy Scrivener did indeed take place. Here is the true story that happened in mid-August 2006 to their family of five in San Antonio: This is one of the ...
Views: 2070(1 vote) - Spiritual Healing for your Grief when you have lost a Loved one - by Submitted on Jan 04, 2009 from Aliya NicholaisenSo often when you have lost a loved one it seems impossible to keep spiritual principles intact, even if you felt you had a firm grip on them before your loved one passed on. Many experience feelings of anger, depression, guilt, sadness, regret, among many other individual feelings based on your ...
Views: 2066(1 vote) - Softening the Grieving Process - by Submitted on Jul 02, 2012 from Joanne Harvey MSW, Pro EFT MasterI am a hospice social worker and grief therapist. Before I used Emotional Freedom Techniques I spent a lot of hours hoping I was making a difference providing grief support. It’s a proven fact that people who are grieving need to tell their stories so that they can process their grief, but ...
Views: 2065(1 vote) - When Is Grieving "Done"? - by Submitted on Jan 10, 2010 from Peter GerlachSTARTING IN INFANCY, all wholistically-healthy people form emotional and perhaps spiritual attachments (bonds) to tangible and invisible things. Life on Earth decrees that these bonds will be broken by chance or choice, causing losses. We may start grieving before an foreseen occurs, or be ...
Views: 2060 - ***Trusting the Seasons of Life - by Submitted on Jun 28, 2011 from Karen Mehringer, MA“Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!” Absolute silence enveloped me except for the sound of my boots on the hard packed snow. I quickly shoved my gloved hands deep into my jacket pockets as I didn’t want my fingers to get frost bitten. With a scarf wrapped tightly around my neck, mouth and nose, and my wool ...
Views: 2055(1 vote) - Dealing With Grief - by Submitted on Apr 01, 2012 from Shiroko SokitchMary’s son died in Afghanistan a few years ago. Not much later she developed a painful ovarian cyst. She did not want to have surgery. When she came into my office, she was skeptical about the possibility of her son’s death and her cyst being related. Grief like most painful emotions is one ...
Views: 2052(2 votes) - ***Living a Purposeful Life - by Submitted on Mar 14, 2012 from Karen Mehringer, MASurrounded by royal blue water extending beyond the horizon in all directions, no land in sight, I gaze at the path of diamonds dancing on the ocean’s surface. The sun radiating on my skin feels like a warm cashmere sweater. It is August 19, 1998, and I am on my first ocean passage of a ...
Views: 2050(3 votes) - Eating Healthy IS Becoming all the Rage - by Submitted on Aug 16, 2012 from Suzane NorthropA friend of mine recently said to me, “Suzane, you are the only person I know who shows your garden to everyone from your Blackberry.” I just looked at her and thought, “In this day and age of electronic wizardry, is it so strange that a girl from farming stock on both sides her family is ...
Views: 2046 - ***Creating Infinite Possibilities - by Submitted on Apr 23, 2009 from Karen Mehringer, MA“Don't waste life in doubts and fears; spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hours and ages that will follow it.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson There is a tendency when catastrophic events happen for ...
Views: 2044(1 vote) - Time helps with grief, but does not heal - by Submitted on Feb 15, 2011 from Tamara ThomasTime heals, they say. In my experience, time does not heal exactly, but it does help some scar tissue form. It helps the wound from being so excruciating and bloody. My daughter died in May of 2008. In the first weeks and months I clung desperately to time. I counted days, then weeks, finally ...
Views: 2042(2 votes) - Getting Through the Sadness - by Submitted on Jul 05, 2009 from Karen RowinskyMany say the first year after the loss of a loved is the hardest but most people find that different seasons or dates bring up sadness and feelings of grief years after our loved one has died. There are things we can do to ease our pain during these seasons of sadness no matter when they ...
Views: 2032(2 votes) - The Art of Letting Go - by Submitted on Dec 06, 2010 from Sarah JamesThe Art of Letting Go People often find themselves irritated, operating at their max capacity, or weighed down. Perhaps some feel as if they are gripping on tightly to certain aspects in their life and cannot let go, or simply feeling sad. Many individuals can identify the feeling, but have ...
Views: 2032 - Relationships: Is It Important To Grieve The End Of A Relationship? - by Submitted on May 21, 2013 from Oliver JR CooperWhen a relationship comes to an end, it can often lead to pain. For some people the end of a relationship will be experienced solely as a loss and for others, although there is a sense of loss, it will also be coupled with a sense of freedom and that the time had come. This will of course ...
Views: 2030(1 vote) - LOSSES OF DIVORCE: LETTING GO and MOVING ON - by Submitted on Sep 29, 2010 from Darlene LancerEven if you wanted the divorce, it entails loss. Aside from the ending of the relationship with your spouse, you may be losing your home, time with your children, in-laws, extended family, and even friends. There are inevitable financial losses, loneliness, a change of lifestyle, imagined ...
Views: 2024(1 vote) - ***A Year in Transition - by Submitted on Sep 30, 2011 from Karen Mehringer, MA“Discovering your Groove and creating a luscious life is all about allowing for Grace through your next transition.” - Shann Vander Leek The sun was an orange ball of fire in the sky as it sank lower over the horizon. I reached the end of the jetty and sat on a large rock to witness its final ...
Views: 2020(2 votes) - Signs and Dreams from our Children - by Submitted on Apr 22, 2010 from Louise LagermanSigns and Dreams from our Children Dreams and signs of our children. Do they really exist? Are dreams and signs a technique our deceased children use to contact us to let us know they are fine and indeed do live on? I believe with my whole heart they do. I am very fortunate and ...
Views: 2018(1 vote) - Personalized Sympathy Gifts Show Special Thoughtfulness - by Submitted on Nov 13, 2010 from Karen E GrishamUnique personalized sympathy gifts express timely thoughtfulness to a bereaved person. They become treasured mementos of the life of a loved one who has passed on. There are a number of ways to personalize a gift. You can incorporate a photo, have an item engraved, or use a particularly ...
Views: 2017(2 votes) - Miscarriage - by Submitted on Aug 21, 2013 from Zita StanleyIf you have experienced miscarriage, you know that feeling that keeps nagging you - what did I do wrong? Why did my baby have to die inside me? Unfortunately, there is no reason and yet we upset ourselves, looking for the one alcoholic drink we had before we knew we were pregnant or if life ...
Views: 2015(1 vote) - Grief into Depression - Issues in Senior Bereavement - Why Can’t Mom Just ‘Snap Out of It’? - by Submitted on Apr 04, 2012 from Gabriela BrownLast year, I received a call from Sharon, the adult daughter of a potential client, Bette. Her father, Burt, had passed away a little over a year ago from an extended battle with cancer and Bette had been his primary caregiver. Until his passing, Bette was mobile, energetic and rarely sick. ...
Views: 2003(1 vote) - Decluttering a Loved One's Possessions - by Submitted on Feb 24, 2012 from Beth DargisFirst of all, no one, not decluttering gurus, best friends or anyone else can tell you what to get rid of and what is important to keep. Only you know the stories behind your possessions and how they affect you. There is no "should." You don’t have to get rid of anything. But, if you feel ...
Views: 2002(1 vote) - A Hug From The Other Side - by Submitted on Sep 19, 2008 from Karen AndersonI always say you never know who will come through during a session with your animals. I am constantly humbled and amazed at the accuracy of the messages that come through for loved ones who are open to their messages. At an expo I was attending in Chicago in February of 2008, a lovely lady ...
Views: 1999 - *** Journaling the Journey Through Grief - by Submitted on Aug 17, 2009 from Sandy ClendenenMany who grieve find comfort and healing through the journaling process. Writing truly does cause thinking. And thinking is the beginning of new awareness. And awareness is the beginning of transformation. When the love of your life is no longer physically present in your everyday like, there ...
Views: 1995(7 votes) - A Friend Died Today: Looking For Deeper Meaning - by Submitted on Jul 17, 2012 from Suzanne E. Harrill, M. Ed., LPC"...when you fully understand that each day you awaken could be the last you have, you take the time that day to grow, to become more of who you really are, to reach out to other human beings." -- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Death The Final Stage of Growth I wrote the following piece after a ...
Views: 1994 - Talking To Children About Bereavement And Pet Loss - by Submitted on Feb 23, 2008 from Denise FiennesWhen I was a counsellor with the UK Charity ChildLine, I spoke to children of all ages about many things that worried them, including the loss of a beloved pet, and grief in general. I was trained to talk to children and not to 'bandage' a child's deep pain over the loss of a loved one. I ...
Views: 1994 - ***Staying on Purpose - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2009 from Karen Mehringer, MAIn our modern day society, distractions are everywhere, vying for our attention, keeping us from what is truly important and our higher purpose. Lately, I have felt more and more overwhelmed by the amount of e-mail that comes through my in-box on a daily basis. By attending to all of this ...In ...
Views: 1992 - The 6 T's of Grief Recovery - by Submitted on Mar 15, 2007 from Cheryline LawsonThere are 6 fundamentals of grief recovery, which are very important to the grieving process. Most people try to avoid them not knowing that they are delaying their healing and advancement to the future. Let us discuss them and evaluate your situation if you are grieving to see if you are or ...
Views: 1992 - Dear Dr. Romance: It makes me very very upset, angry, pissed-off, and sad. - by Submitted on May 03, 2011 from Tina TessinaDear Dr. Romance: I saw your article "Surviving Loss and Thriving Again" while searching for answers to my own issues. The 'loved one' I lost was myself. I loved life, loved adventure, travel, people, photography, mostly adventure! In 2 seconds my life was 'taken' away pretty much. This ...
Views: 1988(2 votes) - The Transformative Work of Grief - by Submitted on Feb 13, 2009 from Beth PattersonHelen Keller has said that “the only way to get to the other side is to go through the door.” This is certainly true in the work of transforming grief into healing and growth. This process involves allowing ourselves to feel the intense emotions of grief – sadness, anger, ...
Views: 1988 - Comforting Someone Dealing With Anticipatory Grief - by Submitted on Sep 14, 2010 from Menno SpijkstraDealing with anticipatory grief is tough to deal with, may it be after death or before, it is acceptable that there’s no topic more difficult to deal with than grieving. And this is where the beauty of friendship comes. More than sharing all those happy and fun times, all those sharing secrets ...
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