Monday, November 29, 2021

Grief Healing Discussion Group Members Ask, How Long Can We Stay?

A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people. We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to love, to be loved, and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don't function as we were meant to. We break. We fall apart. We numb. We ache. We hurt others. We get sick.  ~ Brene Brown

Those of us in mourning often wonder how long the pain of grief will last. As I’ve often observed, I think this is like asking how high is up, because the time it takes to process grief simply cannot be measured. Grief has no timeline, and for most of us, we’ll never stop loving and missing the one we have loved and lost. Nor will we ever stop needing the understanding and support of others, even as we worry that our needs might one day exceed their willingness and capacity to help.

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Understanding and Managing Grief, November 21 - November 27, 2021

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

The number of American kids whose caregivers have died in the pandemic has surpassed 140,000. Natasha’s story provides a glimpse at how institutions such as schools, hospitals, and governments have struggled to respond to the needs of children and families left bereft by the pandemic. Children who lost parents to Covid-19 are facing a crisis of grief « Vox

Monday, November 22, 2021

In Grief: Keeping The Secret of An AIDS Diagnosis

Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets.  ~ Paul Tournier

A reader writes: I'm not really sure what I am looking for. This will be the first time I say these words to anyone other than my husband or sister. Even my own kids don't know the truth, but I feel I need support right now and you've been so helpful and kind.

My mom died of AIDS last month at the age of 68. Barely one week later, my dad was diagnosed with full blown AIDS. He is 70. Today I spent the day moving him from the hospital to a nursing home. We were shocked when my mom was diagnosed, after being sick for a year. They did every kind of test in the world, except an HIV test. She was so sick by the time they did the test. We spent the last year taking care of her and watching her slowly leave us. During the last few months of her life, I started really thinking and searching thru things in my dad's life. I discovered a life-time of lies and deceit.

Sunday, November 21, 2021

Understanding and Managing Grief, November 14 - November 20, 2021

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

How young people who lost parents and siblings to COVID cope with holidays Coping With Grief During the Holidays After Losing Family Members to COVID-19 « Teen Vogue 

This video with Dr. Alan Wolfelt provides some practical counsel to assist you in maintaining mental health wellness during the holidays.  Acknowledging Potential of Holiday Blues: Practical Tips « YouTube

Monday, November 15, 2021

Coping with An HIV+ Diagnosis: Suggested Resources

It is bad enough that people are dying of AIDS, but no one should die of ignorance.  ~ Elizabeth Taylor 

A colleague writes: I am doing a presentation tomorrow to a group of individuals who are HIV+. The topic is grief over their own disease and grief over the loss of friends to the disease. I looked at your website and couldn’t find any articles on that type of loss. Do you have any suggestions of articles or links, or anything I could use as handouts for attendees? Please don’t spend a lot of time researching this. It'll be okay even if I don’t have anything to hand out. I just wondered if you have something in mind off the top of your head.  Much thanks!

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Understanding and Managing Grief, November 7 - November 13, 2021

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Although we may want to cure someone's grief with a simple quick fix solution, it's not something that you as the gift giver have control over. Instead, it's necessary to be there for them as a reliable support system when they need to talk. But while your presence is the most important gift of all, you can also show up in other ways. 45 Best Sympathy Gifts for Those Who Are Grieving 2021 « Well + Good

Monday, November 8, 2021

Veterans Day, 2021

The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.  ~ Douglas MacArthur 

The theme for this year's Veterans Day Poster is Honoring All Who Served. Artist Matt Tavares explains, 
In this poster, a Tomb Guard carries out his responsibilities with unwavering dedication, alone on the quiet plaza at dawn. There have been Tomb Guards of all races, genders, religion and creeds, so I wanted to keep the identity of this Tomb Guard ambiguous. By placing the Tomb Guard off to the side I hoped to remind the viewer to look past the sentinel and focus on the tomb itself and the unknown soldiers who died in service to our nation.

Sunday, November 7, 2021

Understanding and Managing Grief & Pet Loss, October 31 - November 6, 2021

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week: 

“But for a small but significant group of people, grief doesn’t resolve. It is ongoing, pervasive, intense and debilitating,” said Katherine Shear, professor of psychiatry at the School of Social Work and founding director of the Center for Complicated Grief at Columbia University. “This is what we call prolonged grief disorder.”  Prolonged grief disorder is now in the DSM. Here’s what you need to know. « The Washington Post

Monday, November 1, 2021

Coping with The Holidays: Suggested Resources, 2021

[Updated February 6, 2022]

The holidays can be difficult enough already, but for those impacted by significant loss, they can be a real challenge. Fortunately help is available, both online and in person, as individuals and communities rally to offer information, comfort and support to the bereaved and those who care for them. 

As I've done in years past, I will be searching throughout the season for helpful articles and reliable resources that I can recommend and share with my readers.

Below are links to those resources I’ve gathered so far this year, which I hope you will find informative and useful. Over the next several weeks I’ll be building upon this list each day, so I encourage you to check back often to see what’s been added.