Understanding and Managing Grief, August 25 - September 7, 2024

September is National Suicide Prevention Month

Best selections from Grief Healing's most recent X feed:   

Children and teens have their unique way of grieving. Loss tends to affect children in different ways than from adults. Depending on their age, experiences, and maturity levels, all children will have a different grief experience from the next. Oftentimes, a child’s grief is overlooked or overshadowed by adults who may be grieving the same loss as in the case of a sibling or a grandparent that has died. 11 Ways to Help a Grieving Child or Teenager « Cake

Navigating the aftermath of my father's death helped me understand how crucial it is to have support, especially in places where we spend so much of our time—like the workplace. Employers have a unique opportunity to play a vital role in supporting their employees through such difficult times. Here are a few meaningful ways HR leaders and managers can support employees who are grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide. How to support employees through suicide grief « Spring Health

Supporting someone grieving a suicide loss can be uncomfortable and even a bit scary. The support you provide is crucial to helping them navigate this tragedy, and it's essential to their mental health. Be aware that those who have lost someone to suicide are at a higher risk of dying from suicide, as well. How to talk with someone grieving a suicide loss « Union Democrat

Taking care of someone as they approach the end of their life is hard, scary, frustrating, sad, and often guilt-ridden work. Caregivers carry the burden of care but are often invisible. We tend to give our attention to the patient by focusing on their wants, needs and changes. We come, often bringing gifts and food, and we sit with the patient. We talk, tell stories, try to laugh, then we say goodbye and leave. Meanwhile, the caregiver is behind the scenes doing all the work, receiving no attention, receiving no acknowledgment. Caregivers Carry The Burden « Barbara Karnes, RN

In the early days after the death of someone you love dearly, it’s normal for this step to seem like a ridiculous impossibility. You feel so raw and torn apart, you can’t imagine surviving, let alone returning to any semblance of “normal life.” But then the first couple of weeks pass, the funeral has been held, and there it is—normal life, staring you in the face. How can it be? You’re still torn apart. You’re still immersed in shock and numbness. You’re still shattered—completely crazed by grief. But nonetheless, you have to keep getting out of bed and walking the dog and paying the bills and trying to eat. It’s crazy making. You’re Not Crazy – You’re Grieving Pt. 6 « After Talk

As if grieving a loved one isn’t enough, it can become exponentially more complex when we lose someone in our lives that was narcissistic or sociopathic. In so many cultures we are vehemently taught not to speak ill of the dead. It is a lovely and loving custom, but what if the deceased spoke ill of you or was abusive to you in any way. Grieving the loss of a narcissist takes skill. This is a particularly difficult dynamic if the loss was a parent. Grieving The Loss of a Narcissist or Sociopath « Open to Hope

When something goes terribly wrong, human beings have a natural and powerful need to make sense of what has happened. This usually includes a need to affix blame for the bad thing that has happened. Most people, even if they are outwardly blaming someone else for the suicide, will also be privately asking themselves,“Is this my fault? Why didn’t I see this coming? Could I have done more to prevent it?” This self-blaming is very, very common after a suicide. Feeling Guilty after a Suicide « Open to Hope

Parents are often understandably concerned about how the harsh fact of a suicide in the family, particularly of a parent, will affect their children. They may wonder whether telling their children–particularly young children–the truth about the death will cause more harm than good. And if they do decide to tell their children the truth, they struggle to find the words to explain what they find very hard to understand themselves – “Why did this person take their life?” Telling Young Children of a Suicide « Open to Hope

Loss that stems from a chronic or lingering illness, that is sudden and unexpected, or happens as a result of an accident or a fire, a natural or a national disaster, an abortion, a suicide, a homicide, domestic violence, abandonment, incarceration, relinquishment of a baby through adoption ~ any loss that produces a complex and difficult ending ~ can be considered traumatic. Here I've listed a number of resources focusing on various types of trauma, separated into broad categories. Dealing with Traumatic  Loss: Suggested Resources « Grief Healing

From public memorial gardens to intimate home gardens, and the flowers we display in our homes, how can these seemingly simple spaces provide comfort, hope, and togetherness through life’s most challenging times? Unearth the Ways Gardens Can Support You Through Grief « Happiful

For many people, the suicide of a loved one raises agonizing spiritual or existential issues. These include many difficult questions that you may never have thought much about before suicide came into your life. Or perhaps you have simply accepted what your religion has taught you about the answers. But now these questions may have become painful, confusing, and all too real concerns – issues that have a deeply personal meaning for you. If you have no spiritual beliefs, a few of the questions on the list may still apply. Caring for Your Spirit After A Suicide « Open to Hope

In early grief, existential questions tend to naturally arise. Why did the person have to die? Why now? Why in this way? Why does anyone live and die? Why are we here? I often say “why” questions naturally precede “how” questions. “Why did this happen?” instinctively comes before “How will I survive that it did happen?” It is normal to try to make sense of things, to try to understand. It is normal to wonder about and search for the meaning of life—your life, the life of the person who died, and life in general.  You’re Not Crazy – You’re Grieving Pt. 5 « AfterTalk

Setting a boundary with someone is like drawing a line around yourself to define where you end and where the other person begins. It's about self-love and self-respect ~ treating yourself with the same love and respect you would expect from others. Setting Clear Boundaries in Grief « Grief Healing

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