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Grief and Loss Articles
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- Explaining Suicide to Children - by "What should I tell the children?" A question often asked after the suicide of a loved one. The answer - the truth.
Many people still believe it is best to shield children from the truth, that somehow this will protect them. More often than not, the opposite is true. Misleading children, ...
Views: 16468(1 vote) - Accepting Loss and Moving On - by Submitted on Feb 04, 2011 from Roberta Stack-CostantinoYou have had a loss...you are in pain, depressed, sad, and just feeling alone. You feel like nobody really understands what you are going through. Have I got it right? Guess what? People do understand what you are going through, because odds are, someone in this world has gone through ...
Views: 10434(1 vote) - Can Grief Cause Physical Pain? - by Submitted on Sep 26, 2008 from James EinertAccording to John E. Sarno, M.D. In his book, “The Divided Mind”, your emotions of grief and loss may be the cause of some or all of your physical pain! The theory behind this is that the mind will reduce oxygen to certain parts of the body to cause physical pain so as to cover-up ...
Views: 9528 - Surviving Adult Siblings: The Forgotten Bereaved - by Submitted on Jul 05, 2008 from TJ WrayThree months after my brother died, I bumped into a friend I hadn’t seen in about six weeks. When she asked how I was doing, I naturally assumed she was concerned about how I was handling the grief. (This particular friend sent me a lovely condolence letter a few days after my brother’s ...
Views: 8427 - Your Soul's Plan: The Deeper Spiritual Meaning of Suicide - by Submitted on Jun 15, 2012 from Robert SchwartzWhen difficult or traumatic experiences occur in our lives, we naturally wonder, “Why did this happen? What does it mean?” Often, such experiences may appear not to have any particular meaning; they may seem to be nothing more than purposeless suffering. Yet, in my years as a spiritual author ...
Views: 8318(1 vote) - Why It’s Okay to Talk to a Deceased Loved One - by Submitted on May 12, 2011 from Louis LaGrandIs it a bit unusual to have a conversation with a deceased loved one? Do many people do this? And are there any benefits to such action? What will my friends think if they find out? These questions are not uncommon in the thoughts of those mourning the death of a loved one. These questions are ...
Views: 8266(1 vote) - How to Overcome Tragedy and Loss - by Submitted on Jun 30, 2010 from Pat HeydlauffHas the loss of a loved one, a major physical or financial tragedy or a global disaster brought your world to a screeching halt? Are you finding it hard to deal with the emotional rollercoaster, blaming yourself and feeling anger and helplessness all at the same time? Loss from a major ...
Views: 8211 - Dreaming of Those Who Have "Crossed Over" - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2009 from Laurel Clark"I have absolutely no fear of death. From my near-death research and my personal experiences, death is, in my judgment, simply a transition into another kind of reality." - Dr. Raymond Moody Most people fear death. Although we know that death is inevitable, there is often a difference ...
Views: 7708(4 votes) - Teenage Relationships and Suicide Attempts - by Submitted on Nov 13, 2011 from Ronae JullI'm the first to admit that teenage relationships can be some of the most intense relationships ever! But teens are also in danger of reacting to the drama of a tumultuous relationship or the ending of a relationship by resorting to life-altering decisions. Sadly, one of those reactions can ...
Views: 6965(2 votes) - Tips On Hosting A Life Celebration When Someone Has Died - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2011 from Pam BrownWhen tragedy strikes it never lets a person know its coming. But when it does there is nothing better than people coming together to help others grieve and walk through tough journeys together. The death of a loved one is never easy. It always stings and the pain can continue for always. But to ...
Views: 6624 - Mourning Bands - by Submitted on Apr 28, 2003 from Paul VillanuevaThe business world does not recognize mourning in the workplace very well. Once we bury our loved one, we are expected to go back to our jobs to continue, as if we were unchanged by their death. We do not see widows wearing black clothing in the business world, and men certainly do not mourn ...
Views: 6325(2 votes) - The Top 10 Ways To Give A Great Eulogy Speech - by Submitted on Jul 31, 2009 from Tracy PhaupBeing asked to give a eulogy can be a daunting occasion to rise to for a countless number of possible reasons. Giving a eulogy for those that meant the most to us means trying to come to terms with our loss enough in order to even be coherent and to also fulfill our deep need to do them ...
Views: 6268 - Synchronicity is More than a Coincidence - by Submitted on Feb 08, 2010 from Mary Jane Hurley BrantHave you ever had an experience where you said, "Wow, what a coincidence." Maybe it was more. Maybe it was a synchronicity. Let me explain through a Jungian perspective. Carl Jung, the prominent Swiss psychiatrist, believed synchronicity meant 'more than a coincidence.' Jung, the thinker ...
Views: 6243(2 votes) - What to Say to Someone Who is Grieving - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2009 from Intent.com AuthorsWhat do you say to someone whose life comes crashing down around them; whose life, as they knew it, is forever and profoundly changed? The first thing to really recognize is that when someone experiences the death of a loved one, the loss is so pervasive, the pain so excruciating, that ...
Views: 6236(5 votes) - Grief Relief: Looking for Laughter in Loss - by Submitted on May 12, 2007 from Allen KleinSometimes a laugh is the only weapon we have. —Roger Rabbit While I was writing my book, The Courage to Laugh: Humor, Hope and Healing in the Face of Death and Dying, my dad died. New Year's Eve 1996, he was taken to the hospital. Nine days later, just hours after my mom called to tell me ...
Views: 6214(1 vote) - When the Pain Turns to Anguish and the Anguish to Despair - by Submitted on Sep 25, 2012 from Kristie BlankenshipHas Your Pain Turned into Anguish and Despair? Today, I want to talk about something that is very painful and deep inside some of us. Something that eats at you and gnaws away at your very being. It seems like it never gets better, but only worse. What I am talking about is our pain, but ...
Views: 6141 - The Special Grieving Needs of Suicide Survivors - by Submitted on Mar 19, 2011 from Suzanne V. BenoitCONTENTS 1. Stigma and shame 2. Regrets 3. Detective obsession 4. Telling the story 5. Keeping control of feelings 6. Odd ways to sooth 7. Filling the void 8. Creating a grieving ritual 9. Individualized grieving process 10. Blaming and family conflict 11. Parental ...
Views: 6038(1 vote) - How to Cope with Feeling Lonely: Tips for Coping with Loneliness - by Submitted on Dec 08, 2009 from Jonathan HuieLoneliness is a state of mind rather than a measure of how many people you interact with. You can be overwhelmed with a feeling of loneliness in a bustling restaurant or a cheering football stadium, in a business meeting or a family gathering, even while having sex. You can feel contented, ...
Views: 6017(6 votes) - EMDR as a Healing Tool in Traumatic Grief - by Submitted on Nov 21, 2009 from Beth PattersonThe intense and painful experiences of grief are generally considered "normal." However, when those experiences are extremely distressing, unduly interfere with day-to-day functioning or do not subside to a manageable level over time, the bereaved may be experiencing complicated or traumatic ...
Views: 5832(3 votes) - ***Grief and Menopause - by Submitted on Mar 26, 2009 from John AOVSoon after my husband’s death, I felt myself descending deeper and deeper into a dark, lethargic place. My body felt sluggish. My mind felt like it was stuffed with cotton balls. I ate little, but seemed to be gaining weight. I decided to visit my naturopathic doctor. She reminded me that I was ...
Views: 5722 - Coping With Divorce for Men – 3 Rules for Happiness After Divorce - by Submitted on Oct 25, 2010 from Kyle MorrisonCoping with divorce for men can be confusing and frustrating. The reason is simple – support and help isn’t easy to find when it comes to men dealing with divorce. Living in the aftermath of divorce will feel like being in a slippery slope where no matter how hard you try to claw and struggle; ...
Views: 5661(1 vote) - Outlets for Emotional Pain When Grieving - by Submitted on Apr 21, 2009 from Louis LaGrandPain, whether emotional or physical, is a condition of existence. No matter what your station in life, you are bound to confront relationship separations, work conflicts, medical difficulties, or the death of a loved one. No one escapes these circumstances of life and the pain they ...
Views: 5596 - The Long Term Effects Of Loss After Grieving - by Submitted on Feb 06, 2008 from Abby LynneGrieving is a process that starts at different points for different people after encountering a tragedy. Some start straight away while others lay dormant in shock until the reality of the situation hits home. Either way there is a large part of grieving that is unexpected and unexplained. It’s ...
Views: 5469 - How to Deliver the Best Eulogy - Five Easy Steps - by Submitted on Jan 16, 2012 from Bernice McLarenExperts in phobias say that, for many of us, the fear of public speaking is worse than the fear of death. This is because most of us need acceptance from others and fear judgment to some extent. Although the event that necessitates a eulogy is the worst emotional experience, delivery of the ...
Views: 5378(4 votes) - You Can Directly Contact Deceased Loved Ones - by Submitted on Jan 05, 2010 from Michael JuddWe all have Spirit Guides and/or Guardian Angels that are available to assist us in our daily lives. Spirit Guides and Guardian Angels are considered synonymous by some and different by others. Those who see them as different believe that Spirit Guides have been in body before and have had ...
Views: 5354(4 votes) - Where is Your Life Headed? - by Submitted on Sep 25, 2009 from Danish AhmedHi there everyone!! I remember sitting in a subway car on my way home from grade nine. I had an 88% average and I was making good money at my job, yet I was depressed out of my mind. I wasn't in a rush to get home -- I would stay on the subway for hours, not really caring about the day, ...
Views: 5307(10 votes) - Tips for Widows--Surviving The Holidays - by Submitted on Nov 20, 2009 from Sandy ClendenenHolidays can be difficult for widows. Whether it is a birthday, anniversary, Thanksgiving or New Years, the memories of past holidays can keep widows stuck in the past and unable to move forward in their life. It can feel impossible to even consider participating in a holiday without one's ...
Views: 5285(3 votes) - Grief and Loss: When to See a Grief Counselor - by Submitted on Nov 26, 2010 from Louis LaGrandDo you feel stuck in your grief? Has it been months since your loved one died and you feel you should be feeling better? Do others close to the deceased seem to be adapting more quickly than you? Has the pain gotten worse? These are questions with very individual answers. They may or may not ...
Views: 5275 - Stuck in Grief - You and Your loved one who passed over. - by Submitted on Jul 24, 2010 from Wendy AGrief is yours to own, and no one will ever expect you to forget your grief. Grief cannot just be cured or dismissed, as the hurt surrounding grief is there because of your connection with the loved one you lost. Grief can keep time standing still, and it is very common for people to not want ...
Views: 5256(3 votes) - What Does Divorce Mean to Kids? - by Submitted on Feb 03, 2008 from Yvonne ClarkEvery year over one million children in the United States under the age of seventeen are involved in their parents’ divorce. Separation and divorce can be emotionally overwhelming, painfully challenging, and distressfully traumatic. How parents, extended family members, helpful family ...
Views: 5123 - How To Resolve the Guilt of the Suicide Survivor - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2010 from Ellen GerstNo one can know the depth of despair to which a person may sink upon contemplation of suicide. Possibly, the black hole in which one finds him/herself gets deeper and darker as the days go by. Soon, even the smallest sliver of light is blocked from view. And then -- instead of being frightening ...
Views: 5122(5 votes) - ***The Power of Tears - by Submitted on Sep 09, 2010 from Margaret Paul"Those who do not know how to weep with their whole heart don't know how to laugh either." - Golda MeirDo you have a lid on your tears? Do you also have a hard time laughing with your whole body?Our tears are a God-given way of expressing sadness, just as laughter is a God-given way of ...
Views: 5103(3 votes) - When You Are Grieving, Thanksgiving Day Feels Painful - by Submitted on Nov 04, 2011 from Mary Jane Hurley BrantWhen you lose someone you love and are grieving, Thanksgiving Day feels burdensome and painful. When a brain tumor took away our precious Katie’s life I dreaded that holiday. For seven years we served no rutabagas because they were Katie’s favorite vegetable. The thought of their seasonal ...
Views: 5076(2 votes) - DWELLING AS CHANGE BRINGS PEACE - by Submitted on May 21, 2019 from Brenda ShoshannaWe all hold on to that which we love, or that which we feel makes us secure. There is an innate fear of loss and change. It could even be said that our entire lives consist of a struggle to hold everything together. We want things to be stable, remain exactly as they were. When change comes ...
Views: 4788(2 votes) - What Happens When We Die – How Do Medium Readers Explain This - by Submitted on Sep 21, 2010 from rachel annHaving worked with many mediums over a 15 year career within the metaphysical readings industry. I have collected together many pieces of information which explain the science behind what happens to us when we die. Before we die our spirit guides prepare for our deaths months or weeks in ...
Views: 4757 - ***Living a Purposeful Life - by Submitted on Apr 23, 2009 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: 4718(4 votes) - Dad’s Broken Heart - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2011 from Randy MerglerDuring the many years I’ve worked with families and kids, I’ve met a lot of dads who are walking around with broken hearts. They are men who did the best they knew how to do, within their marriages, as fathers and spouses, and are now divorced. Everyone gets married with the highest hopes, and ...
Views: 4657 - How Loss can Lead to Spiritual Awakening - by Submitted on Aug 23, 2012 from Karen Mehringer, MALoss causes us to ask the tough questions, “Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose? It sends us on a journey of self exploration and discovery. It causes us to question the nature of reality. Who we thought we were is no longer. All that we knew to be true, all of our assumptions about ...
Views: 4212(2 votes) - Death Anniversaries; Inspirational and Amazing Stories - by Submitted on Mar 08, 2010 from Stephanie AltThe approach and actual anniversary day of the death of someone loved and lost, brings to the surface an unsettling sea of emotions. As a therapist and life coach who provides bereavement and grief counseling, and someone who has experienced death at an early age, understanding grieving and loss ...
Views: 4148(2 votes) - Silent Grief In Women - When Words Are Not Enough - by Submitted on May 21, 2012 from Annette Anderson EnglerGrief echoes a painfully vibrating voice which can be heard from generation to generation. It tells us that there is an absence of life in a world of breath and being. It tells us, as we sink deeper into the chair of sorrow, that our lives will never be the same. The sound of emotional pain and ...
Views: 4068 - ***Mood Swings During Grief - by Submitted on Mar 26, 2009 from John AOVDuring grief you may find your mood swinging back and forth between guilt and anger. Or you may feel depression and anxiety shifting quickly inside. These mood swings can cause you to feel stuck and confused about your grief. You may find yourself directing anger at yourself or at your deceased ...
Views: 4034 - Definition: Grief and Bereavement - by Submitted on Nov 12, 2008 from Douglas PakGrief is a multi-faceted response to loss. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions. Common to human experience is the death of a loved one, whether it be a friend, family, or other close ...
Views: 3954 - Emptiness and Loneliness: Stopping The Pain - by Submitted on Feb 13, 2011 from Rich MiltonThere is the pain that pulls us toward loneliness and emptiness. And there are actions we must do to leave this negative feeling from our lives. If we can do it we will be able to live the life of happiness and joy. Do you find yourself in a situation wherein you felt alone and abandoned? ...
Views: 3888(20 votes) - Using Mindfulness Meditation to Heal Grief and Despair - by Submitted on Apr 22, 2009 from Beth PattersonI had the opportunity to work with the practices of mindfulness meditation after my beloved cat and soul companion Lily died. After experiencing Lily’s death, I had a fleeting urge to go unconscious – sleep, eat, drink wine, whatever. As a grief counselor and mindfulness meditation instructor, ...
Views: 3861 - Mid Life Crisis and Self Worth - by Submitted on Jun 22, 2012 from Richard KuhnsOften we think of a mid life crisis striking in the middle of one's life. And maybe it's called middle life crisis because that's when most of them strike. Yet today, that age could range easily between 30 and 60 years of age. Carl Jung, psychologist, described the middle age crisis as part and ...
Views: 3814 - Letting Go of Grief - by Submitted on Apr 24, 2009 from Terri BrittGrief. It’s very real. It comes in different forms, sometimes subtle, hovering just below the surface, and sometimes like a gray blanket suffocating our hearts. I recently received an e-mail from a mom filled with tears and sorrow. Her pain stemmed from the loss of her son…not by death, but ...
Views: 3794(2 votes) - Finding Meaning within Job Loss! - by Submitted on Apr 03, 2009 from Biancia TateYou have lost your job and, now, you, as a person, feel lost! Losing a job is like a death whereas, one loses so much more than just an income. One loses security, co-workers who become like one's second family, meaning or purpose for one's life and a lifestyle for work has so much to do with ...
Views: 3779 - Yoga for the Grieving Child: Lessons from Grief Camp - by Submitted on Feb 24, 2009 from Lorna BellKids grieve differently. I first began to understand this as I drove between my home hospice families in rural Georgia. I delivered end of life care, symptom management, and, especially, I "pronounced" the hospice patients who died on my watch. Adults often cry, become angry, or find solace ...
Views: 3746 - Grief: What Can Happen When Someone Has Grief Trapped In Their Body? - by Submitted on Mar 10, 2014 from Oliver JR CooperAfter one has certain experiences in their life, they are generally going to feel certain emotions. And as we are all emotional beings, this is normal and what is to be expected. But just because this is normal and part of being human, it doesn’t mean that this is what always takes place. ...
Views: 3711 - Grief After A Violent Death Or Suicide - by Submitted on Jul 19, 2010 from Donna HaddadRecovering from grief after a significant emotional loss is hard enough without the added pain when the death is the result of murder, suicide, or a disease such as AIDS. The feelings of being emotionally, mentally, or even socially isolated from the people and events around us,usually ...
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