Understanding and Managing Grief, December 17 - December 30, 2023

Best selections from Grief Healing's X feed this week:

Much about growing older involves loss: of physical strength, mental acuity, and social relevance. Learning to view death as a prelude to something larger is a skill we can begin while still alive. As we learn to drop away the extraneous, the essential can shine through more clearly. The Grief of Growing Older « Psychology Today

To eliminate stigma and judgment, the preferred language “is ‘died by suicide,’ (like) ‘someone died of a heart attack or stroke,’” Baker said. “Fatal suicide attempt,” “killed herself” or “took his own life” are other alternatives, experts said. And when referring to someone who didn’t die from a suicide attempt, acceptable shorthand ways to say that include “nonfatal suicide attempt” or simply “suicide attempt.” When talking about suicide, avoid using these words « CNN Health

Whether you’re just starting out on a grief journey, or you’re a seasoned expert, it’s likely you’ve had to adjust your grief rituals in recent years. That change could impact your long-term healing from grief—but there are several small adjustments that could hopefully lead you to discover small sparks of joy. Grief Rituals Are More Important Than Ever « Psychology Today 

Meaningful loss is a dual loss: We lose the thing itself, but also a part of ourself — our innocence. We cannot re-create our lives going backward. We can only reclaim our life moving forward. Healing from grief and loss — or lost innocence — requires having a “coherent sense of time.” What You Don't Know about Grief and Loss « Psychology Today

The Internet abounds with all sorts of articles, books and tips that offer creative and practical ways to cope with the holidays. Here are links to many of them: Coping with The Holidays: Suggested Resources, 2023 « Grief Healing

Wishing you all the blessings of the season: My Wish for You This Christmas « Grief Healing 

Many if not most grieving people have those very same thoughts, but they are terribly afraid to share them for fear of being regarded as over-reacting or crazy, or for fear of scaring other people. I can assure you that thoughts of suicide are not at all unusual when you are grieving. In Grief: Struggling with Thoughts of Suicide « Grief Healing

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