Coping with Pet Loss, March 4 - March 10, 2012

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

• Helping Children with Pet Loss, http://ow.ly/9qVNn by @SueAtkins
  
  
• Excellent! Saying Goodbye: The When and How, http://bit.ly/wQNh6n by @MySmartPuppy
  
  
• New England Pet Hospice: Death is Not a Dirty Word, http://j.mp/w7XGqN
  
  

Unresolved Grief: When a Loved One Is Missing

Find the updated version of this post here:

In Grief: When A Loved One Is Missing

A reader writes:  I honestly think I'm going a little mad. Three months ago my brother took a break from moving into his apartment [in Jamaica], went out for lunch,  and never returned. Boxes were not opened and he never slept in the bed. His car was never recovered, which makes things more complicated. From all indications the police have a suspect(s) but according to them, without a confession or a witness there is absolutely nothing they can do. I believe the detective who says if the opportunity arises to catch those responsible they will but, how likely will that ever be? 

Caregiving and Hospice, February 26 - March 3, 2012

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

• When I Needed Help - Outstanding first-hand account on need for caregiving, http://nyti.ms/zhzSv5 via @thenewoldage and @ctfox
  
  
• Give Hospice Time to Balance Pain Control With Alertness, Nurse Says, http://ow.ly/9obAt via @ctffox
  
  
• Terminally ill pet therapy dog spends final days celebrating life with hospice patients, http://shar.es/gZFPR via @SolariHospice
  
  
• Intimacy, Marriage and Alzheimer's Disease, bit.ly/yBBruG via @asnl2
  
  
• Lovely! Cooking cuts through mother’s dementia, http://bit.ly/x4lQCE via @alzcny

Understanding and Managing Grief, February 26 - March 3, 2012

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

• Nice list of recommended Films to Heal By, http://bit.ly/wKk9IB via @SevenPonds. See also Grief Movies http://j.mp/9OPplm
  
  
• Passing the Test of Grief, http://j.mp/w8leWV « Bertram's Blog
  
  
• Are We Medicating Normal Grief? http://j.mp/yQJ0px
  
  
• Touching and beautiful! GriefReflection: It’s Always the Little Things, http://j.mp/xwGYm8
  
  
• Picking Up the Pieces, http://j.mp/AxO8EM  via Small Bird Studios

Coping with Pet Loss, February 26 - March 3, 2012

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

• Agreed! Outstanding post by @DrKarenBecker on helping children cope with pet loss, http://bit.ly/NEPHChildren via @NEPetHospice
  
  
• Do vet teams need training in end-of-life care for pets and those who love them? http://ow.ly/9l5Z9  via  @VetWisdom
  

Loneliness and Solitude in Grief

Find the latest version of this post here:

In Grief: Coping with Loneliness and Solitude

If you are among those traveling the winding path of grief, you're probably quite familiar with both these sides of being alone: loneliness and solitude.

With an overwhelming sense of missing the one you love comes the crushing awareness of all that you have lost. You’d give anything to be together again, if only long enough to be relieved of your loneliness and to be reassured that your loved one is still a part of your life.

At other times you may feel a need for solitude. You’ll want to be by yourself, to get away from other people and withdraw temporarily from the pressures and decisions of daily life. This need to turn inward, to reflect on your loss, to get in touch with your innermost feelings is common and not to be feared. In fact it can be a helpful time for you to find your tears and figure out where you are going from here.

Understanding and Managing Grief, February 19 - February 25, 2012

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

• Many Find Solace Online: http://nyti.ms/At6Cky via @InterregnumInc
  
  
• More life lessons to learn… « Memoirs from Widow Island, http://j.mp/xf90dT
  
  
• How can I change my life? The gift of acceptance, http://bit.ly/xZOUHy via @LovingTransform
  
  
• Excellent guest blog by Pete Reinl: The expert on your grief is YOU! http://wp.me/p1aEN7-8d via @HorizonHCH @JenMarsh2
  
  
• FriendGrief: Disenfranchised (Friend) Grief, http://j.mp/wE7OWc

Caregiving and Hospice, February 19 - February 25, 2012

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

• A Daughter’s Love, a Mother’s Last Breath, http://NYTimes.com
  
  
• What top authors say about caregiving from tips to policy demands, http://aarp.us/yr0usf via @AARPOR
  
  
• Tips on caregiving from caregivers, http://ow.ly/9egwG via @mjcare
  
  
• Lovely! "You're Still You" by Connie Foster, http://bit.ly/y5UUAB via @KoryWells
  
  
• How to talk to one who is terminally ill, http://ow.ly/9ftVG via @SeasonsHospice

Common Myths and Misconceptions about Grief

Loss is a fact of life, and so are the reactions that follow, but the grief that accompanies significant loss is frequently misunderstood.

Here are some of the more commonly held myths and misconceptions about grief, along with the facts to dispel them:  Read on here >>>

Understanding and Managing Grief, February 12 - February 18, 2012

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

• Widow Chick: This Too Shall Pass, http://j.mp/zNJ5E9
  
  
• Al Frances, who developed DSM-IV, attacks the medicalisation of grief in DSM5 http://bit.ly/ArlBfw MT @Dr_Tad
  
  
• Culture, bereavement, and psychiatry, http://bit.ly/AyFO5o by @TheLancet via @_lizzy_
  
  
• Dogs and Loss: The Healing Power of Pets, j.mp/wU6FBy
  
  
• Psychiatry debates whether grief is really depression, http://goo.gl/QppTa from @guilfordpress via @latimes