I saw fear in the eyes of an aged loved one and it was painful to watch because it was unexpected…it caught me off guard. It’s difficult to see that fear—whether it’s the fear of the dying process, or fears related to being dead: Fear of pain… Fear of physical distress and suffering… Fear of […]

Whether an anticipated death like that of Farrah Fawcett who’s battle with cancer was shared with millions of people on May 15, 2009 in a two-hour documentary called Farrah’s Story, or the personal battle of a close family member, or a sudden death like Cindy’s or Larry’s, or the grief of something intangible, none are […]

The instant you are notified of a homicidal death of a loved one, you are set off from the world as you’ve know it. You feel isolated. And because society often places some of the blame on the victim and attaches stigma to the death, you can also feel as though no one understands the […]

Here is the answer to the last question in my series of six questions about grief and bereavement. It is common for you, the grieving person, to: Think that you should have died instead of the loved one. Be angry—towards others, especially family members and/or god…and angry towards the person who died or towards yourself […]

The fifth question in my series of six questions asks you what some of the behaviors associated with grief are.   The following behaviors are common after a loss and usually correct themselves over time (and not all will be experienced by one person):   Crying spells   Sighing   Avoiding reminders of the deceased […]

The title of this Blog post is the fourth question in my series of six questions. The answer: Shortness of breath Lethargy Loss of memory Trouble with concentration Change in appetite (increase or decrease) Disruption of sleep Shaking/tremors Tendency to sigh Abdominal discomfort Tightness in throat and/or chest Fatigue High blood pressure Muscle tension Aching […]

Here is the answer to the third question in my series of six questions: Because each of us has a unique personality and a unique set of personal experiences to draw from, we all deal with grief differently. So there is no “right way” or “wrong way” to cope! We need to respect the different […]

The title of this Blog post is the second question in my series of six questions. The answer: You can know what healthy grief is by knowing what it is not! Healthy grief is not prolonged, chronic, nor inhibited, and does not include: severe guilt, persistent thoughts of suicide nor a preoccupation with dying, a […]

In my last Blog post I asked six questions about grief. The first question was, “What exactly is bereavement?” Bereavement is a reaction to loss and can include feelings of numbness, shock, denial, disbelief, anguish, waves of distress, sadness, loneliness, emptiness, anxiety, agitation, weakness, guilt, depression, anger and more…experienced by those having close emotional bonds […]

For several years I’ve been writing about grief and bereavement and sharing observations, stories, poems…and more! And I know a lot of you read my posts on a regular basis. So below are some questions about grief. Test yourself and see if you know the answers. (Over the next several Blog posts I’ll share the […]