Understanding and Managing Grief, July 14 - July 27, 2024

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

Yes, it is normal to feel crazy after a shattering loss. What I invite you to consider is that it is actually the loss that’s not normal. This loss came along uninvited and turned your life upside-down. Human beings are born to live and love. That’s why we are here. When a life ends, we’re simply not prepared. We can’t be fully prepared, even when a death is anticipated. Why? Because it’s human nature to want and expect life and love to continue. We’re just not made to easily welcome death into our daily lives. You’re Not Crazy – You’re Grieving Pt. 1 « AfterTalk

Shows are doing a better job of portraying real grief. Grief is a popular plot thread. COVID-19 may be a contributor to the change in seeing more grief on TV. Grief: It’s What’s on TV « Psychology Today

Having experiences that feel as if one is interacting with a deceased person are common. These experiences tend to be positive and may even be experienced as therapeutic. Research finds that after-death communication experiences can occur outside of grief. What We Know About After-Death Communication Experiences « Psychology Today

People don’t die in the same way that they used to. In the past, a relative, friend, partner would pass away, and in time, all that would be left would be memories and a collection of photographs. These days the dead are now forever present online and digital encounters with someone who has passed away are becoming a common experience. How the internet is changing the way we grieve « The Conversation

In the ordinary course of events, we parents don't expect to out-live our own grown children. But when an adult child does precede us in death, it shatters our assumptive world and brings us to our knees. At such a sorrowful time, where can bereaved parents turn for understanding, comfort and support? Death of An Adult Child: Resources for Bereaved Parents « Grief Healing

"Grieving for a husband was different than grieving for parents. I didn’t know that either until I started walking in those shoes. The key that I think I learned is that there’s a component beyond the intellectual, a component beyond the emotional. You have to learn how to be a 'me' instead of a 'we,' and I never thought about that before." Barbara Karnes on What She’s Learned in the ‘School of Grief’  « Tulip 

Denial. Denial by the person with a life threatening illness, denial by the caregiver, and I’ll even add denial by some attending physicians. Denial is often the reaction to diseases that have reached the point of not being fixable. Denial of a Life Limiting Illness « Barbara Karnes, RN

If you’re not sure how to keep your loved one’s memory alive every day, it’s easier than you might think. By using personal items and shared interests, you can create meaningful new traditions that will keep their legacy alive. Keeping Your Loved One’s Memory Alive Every Day « AfterTalk

"When I think of him being gone forever my heart starts pounding and I feel like I could be sick. I tell myself to take this one step at a time, but what will it take for me to accept what has happened?" In Grief: Mother Struggles to "Accept" Son's Tragic Death « Grief Healing

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