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Grief and Loss Articles
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- I Lost My Best Friend To Breast Cancer - by Submitted on Oct 29, 2012 from Nathan DanielsI know I'm not alone in the fact that I've lost someone very special to breast cancer, and I'm sure I'm not alone in the fact that it still hurts after nearly twenty years. My mom passed away in 1993, a victim of this horrible disease, and getting over her death has taken most of my adult life. ...
Views: 3651(1 vote) - Inexplicably, Predictably Happy - by Submitted on Oct 26, 2012 from Amy TorresRecently a phrase popped into my head, "Inexplicably predictably happy." That's one way I experience God--words come to me and I can tell they are not mine (some people call this "channeling"). I was actually grieving at the time I "heard" those words, but even though I was grieving, I ...
Views: 2738(1 vote) - CONTROL ISSUES - by Submitted on Oct 23, 2012 from Laura NashJust before Christmas when I was 7 years old my dad died and I experienced a life altering paradigm shift. It was as if the curtains closed at the end of an act on the stage of my life and when they reopened, the scenery had completely changed leaving me feeling unsafe and bewildered. As a ...
Views: 1610 - Dealing with Grief Through Meditation - by Submitted on Oct 23, 2012 from Anne RoseYou experienced a horrible loss. The grief has nearly destroyed you. Although you are aware grief has no schedule or timetable, you are a year into your extended mourning session and want it to stop. In fact, you have become nearly paralyzed with sadness and know this can’t go on. What can ...
Views: 1620 - The Best Way to Age & Forgive! - by Submitted on Oct 10, 2012 from Margo KnoxRecently I made a trip to the supermarket, and was delighted to be able to help an elderly couple with some of shopping’s little snags such as pulling the trolley out and reaching for higher goods. They reminded me of my parents, and I so wanted to go home with them. As we chatted, the woman ...
Views: 1856 - Thoughts of Fall - by Submitted on Oct 09, 2012 from Suzane NorthropI was listening to the weather guy last night saying he knows that many of us are upset that summer is gone, but then reminded listeners that fall that is quite spectacular. I have to agree with him. Of course, it depends where you live. In the Northeast, we get to see all those incredible fall ...
Views: 1451 - The Secret to a Peaceful Life - or The Fear of Death - by Submitted on Sep 30, 2012 from Sheryl PaulWe all long for a peaceful life. We search for peace through the mediums that our culture sells: through spending, watching television, searching the Internet, finding the “perfect” partner, having a baby, and a variety of other misguided methods. We even meditate, practice yoga, and attend ...
Views: 2187(1 vote) - There IS Light at the End of the Tunnel - by Submitted on Sep 25, 2012 from Kristie BlankenshipThere IS light at the end of the tunnel! Feel like you are suffocating in the darkness of your pain? Don’t think there’s any hope? When you are in the midst of despair, I want you to know there IS light at the end of your tunnel. You may not think so right now, but it’s there. Many have ...
Views: 1588 - When the Pain Turns to Anguish and the Anguish to Despair - by Submitted on Sep 25, 2012 from Kristie BlankenshipHas Your Pain Turned into Anguish and Despair? Today, I want to talk about something that is very painful and deep inside some of us. Something that eats at you and gnaws away at your very being. It seems like it never gets better, but only worse. What I am talking about is our pain, but ...
Views: 6141 - Quantum Leap Healing through Community - by Submitted on Sep 22, 2012 from Karen Mehringer, MAAre you someone who has experienced loss? Do you find yourself grieving alone or suppressing your feelings altogether? If so, you may be afraid of burdening friends and family with your grief. Or, perhaps you feel like no one understands what you are going through, so you hide your deepest ...
Views: 1836 - Releasing The Pain - by Submitted on Sep 15, 2012 from Trudy-Ann EwanEach day that we awaken is a new day to take our lives forward. It is an opportunity to create something new, something fresh. No matter what you have gone thru, no matter how painful, how heart-wrenching, you don’t have to be in that situation forever. You do not have to be in pain forever. ...
Views: 1636 - Living at the Bottom of a Well - a Journey through Grief - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2012 from Sheri N HallLiving in the Bottom of a Well By Sheri N Hall You look up, you see a small circle of light- no it is not ‘Gods light’ but it is the way out. It is seemingly far away but closer than you think. It is very small; sometimes non-existent sometimes you cannot see it because you don’t want to ...
Views: 1857(1 vote) - Methods To Take Back Control Of Your Life - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2012 from David HamiltonUnpredictable circumstances in life can make us feel as though the results of our actions are beyond our immediate influence. Events including job loss, death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or even a car accident can leave us feeling helpless: as though the reigns have slipped away ...
Views: 1956 - How Loss can Lead to Spiritual Awakening - by Submitted on Aug 23, 2012 from Karen Mehringer, MALoss causes us to ask the tough questions, “Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose? It sends us on a journey of self exploration and discovery. It causes us to question the nature of reality. Who we thought we were is no longer. All that we knew to be true, all of our assumptions about ...
Views: 4212(2 votes) - Eating Healthy IS Becoming all the Rage - by Submitted on Aug 16, 2012 from Suzane NorthropA friend of mine recently said to me, “Suzane, you are the only person I know who shows your garden to everyone from your Blackberry.” I just looked at her and thought, “In this day and age of electronic wizardry, is it so strange that a girl from farming stock on both sides her family is ...
Views: 2046 - The ripple effects in the aftermath of the largest mass shooting in US history have traveled well beyond Aurora Colorado - by Submitted on Aug 16, 2012 from Suzane NorthropWe are all connected. A tragedy such as this is proof that though we may not know any of those who have passed personally (or their family members and friends), the experience nonetheless hits a core in all of us. Death — especially one of this magnitude — awakens the fragility of life. Most ...
Views: 2165 - How to Heal a Broken Heart - by Submitted on Jul 23, 2012 from Maureen Brennan MercierHow to heal a broken heart is a multifaceted process that takes patience. The first step is to accept that our heart is broken. Whether it is through the death of a loved one, a relationship ending or a betrayal in a close relationship the broken heart will heal when we focus on that ...
Views: 2423 - A Friend Died Today: Looking For Deeper Meaning - by Submitted on Jul 17, 2012 from Suzanne E. Harrill, M. Ed., LPC"...when you fully understand that each day you awaken could be the last you have, you take the time that day to grow, to become more of who you really are, to reach out to other human beings." -- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Death The Final Stage of Growth I wrote the following piece after a ...
Views: 1994 - The Grieving of America - by Submitted on Jul 14, 2012 from Sherry O'BrianThe Grieving of America We plan our lives according to a dream that came to us in childhood, and we find that life alters our plans. —Ben Oki We have seen and heard of job losses within our economy. As a result, individuals have lost their homes, status/lifestyle, dreams, and ...
Views: 2223 - Time Heals All Wounds - by Submitted on Jul 12, 2012 from Womens Recreation, Inc.When you are going through a rough time the last thing you think about is the light at the end of the tunnel. Regardless of what the situation is, you are drowning in it. Your emotions are running rapid and you can’t quite get a grip on things. You have tunnel vision at this point and the ...
Views: 2646(2 votes) - Let Go, Move On, Be Happy - by Submitted on Jul 10, 2012 from Debbie LaChusaI’ve lost many things in my life. Jobs. Grandparents. Pets. Money. A house. A business. Even my identity at one point. I’ve watched my parents lose their parents, my husband lose his father, my daughter lose teenage friends. I’ve seen that in the moment these losses feel insurmountable. ...
Views: 2201 - Softening the Grieving Process - by Submitted on Jul 02, 2012 from Joanne Harvey MSW, Pro EFT MasterI am a hospice social worker and grief therapist. Before I used Emotional Freedom Techniques I spent a lot of hours hoping I was making a difference providing grief support. It’s a proven fact that people who are grieving need to tell their stories so that they can process their grief, but ...
Views: 2065(1 vote) - To Grieve or Not to Grieve, That is the Question - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2012 from Gabrielle MichelIf you were given the choice between diving freely into the darkest depths of the ocean fully equipped with all of the proper gear you would need to handle anything you might encounter OR being slowly dragged down by an eighty pound anchor that is chained to your legs while you frantically tread ...
Views: 1827 - Mid Life Crisis and Self Worth - by Submitted on Jun 22, 2012 from Richard KuhnsOften we think of a mid life crisis striking in the middle of one's life. And maybe it's called middle life crisis because that's when most of them strike. Yet today, that age could range easily between 30 and 60 years of age. Carl Jung, psychologist, described the middle age crisis as part and ...
Views: 3814 - 3 Steps to Shifting Out of Grief - by Submitted on Jun 20, 2012 from Kumari MullinThree months after my beloved Teacher in doggie form, Suki, left her body, I found myself still feeling an enormous ache in my heart whenever I thought of her. I knew enough to realize that how we feel is a choice, usually based on a belief. As a healer and dedicated spiritual practitioner for ...
Views: 2575(2 votes) - Death & Our Journey Towrd It - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2012 from John AllanLiving a spiritual life while maintaining a regular meditative (reflective) attitude toward life, death, and dying is important to our ultimate death. Socrates said “the unexamined life is not worth living” and if death is a part of life, the final stage or the stage in between, then “an ...
Views: 2694 - Your Soul's Plan: The Deeper Spiritual Meaning of Suicide - by Submitted on Jun 15, 2012 from Robert SchwartzWhen difficult or traumatic experiences occur in our lives, we naturally wonder, “Why did this happen? What does it mean?” Often, such experiences may appear not to have any particular meaning; they may seem to be nothing more than purposeless suffering. Yet, in my years as a spiritual author ...
Views: 8318(1 vote) - Surviving Loss and Thriving Again - by Submitted on Jun 10, 2012 from Tina TessinaNone of us wants to think about it, but the standard definition of a totally successful relationship is the old, traditional “til death do us part.” Any time we love, whether it’s a life partner, a dear friend, a child, a sibling, a parent or even a beloved pet, we are risking the loss of that ...
Views: 2116(1 vote) - Some 57 Years Later, Emmett Till Story Still Being Told; Civil Rights History in Mississippi - by Submitted on Jun 15, 2012 from Susan KlopferWHY ARE WE STILL talking about the murder of 14-year-old Emmett TilL some 50-plus years postmortem? I blogged on the topic last August upon the 56th anniversary of this young African American boy’s brutal death back in 1955. Now his name is frequently appearing as national and international ...
Views: 3160(1 vote) - ***Anniversary Reactions; a Part of the Grieving Process - by Submitted on Jun 06, 2012 from Karen Mehringer, MAAt a distance we noticed a hawk flying. In the next moment, it headed straight towards us and circled over head. Smiling, I knew that Kyle was with us as we celebrated the 13-year anniversary of his death. We made a ritual of hiking to his tree, a small oak ling; we planted in his honor, a year ...
Views: 3353(1 vote) - 5 Tips you CAN do to help the grieving!! - by Submitted on Jun 04, 2012 from Jane GalbraithWho hasn’t heard or said themselves “I just don’t know what to say.” Or “I feel so helpless – there’s nothing I can do!!” Well there ARE things that you can do or say to help those in pain due to the death of a loved one. We can help, and not just in little ways, and it makes a tremendous ...
Views: 1757(1 vote) - Grief Counseling Self-Work - by Submitted on May 31, 2012 from Bob LancerOur lives send us through ups and downs. We expect that we will find a “key” that will unlock the mystery of perennial happiness, total clarity about what is going on, a firm and unending grasp upon the helm of our lives. But inevitably, as night follows day, we find ourselves back in the ...
Views: 1540(1 vote) - ***Allowing Grief; Awakening New Possibilities - by Submitted on May 25, 2012 from Karen Mehringer, MAWhere two rivers joined, I spotted a large dead Ponderosa pine which had fallen down a steep ravine on its side, half of its trunk submerged in the water. Carefully navigating my way down the ravine, I felt excited….This was the first day of my vacation and the tree was the perfect place for me ...
Views: 2114(1 vote) - Grief and Loss of Relationship in Marriage Counseling: Tips to Work Through the Five Stages in the Relationship Breakup. - by Submitted on May 23, 2012 from Jim BowenHaven’t we all felt the pit in our stomach, the disbelief it’s happening, feeling pissed off, calling up to get back together, and the sadness, when we go through the loss of a romantic relationship that we cared a lot about? Elizabeth Kubler-Ross wrote originally about these stages in terms of ...
Views: 2547(1 vote) - Life After Suicide - by Submitted on May 23, 2012 from Teal ScottWhy? This is a question which anyone whose life is touched by suicide will find themselves asking. Why would anyone willingly cause his or her own death? The answer to this question is simple but the grief experienced by anyone who is dealing with suicide is anything but simple. Suicide is a ...
Views: 2802(2 votes) - Little Girl Lost - by Submitted on May 21, 2012 from TC TahoeI have had many memorable moments performing magic over the years. I have been fortunate to have been honored with awards from my peers. I have been hired by celebrities like Pirece Brosnan, Minnie Driver Steven Segal. I have worked on movies with Sean Penn and Albert Finney and Jack ...
Views: 1815(1 vote) - Leave A Legacy Of No Regrets - by Submitted on May 08, 2012 from Dora CarpenterDuring my ten years of assisting families with making burial arrangements, I listened to countless expressions of regret by loved ones on behalf of the deceased. “I regret that he didn’t, she didn’t, I didn’t, we didn’t, or they didn’t.” This remorse that the deceased didn’t get a chance to ...
Views: 2680(3 votes) - Why Should I Give a Eulogy? - by Submitted on May 07, 2012 from Bernice McLarenMost of us dread public speaking – even presenting eulogies. Although eulogy audiences are more sympathetic and understanding than most, it is still public speaking, with challenges. The period following the death of a loved one is a trying time. You are likely experiencing grief and perhaps ...
Views: 2740(1 vote) - Embracing Grief - by Submitted on May 06, 2012 from Anne BaigentEmbracing grief and seeing it as part of life’s’ normal cycle of events, when dealing with life changes will assist in seeing a clearer path moving forward and dealing with the events leading you to this place in time. Remember grief is not just the result of death, but any major life changing ...
Views: 2117(1 vote) - Coping Strategies for Depression - by Submitted on May 05, 2012 from Rosemary PriceCoping strategies for depression.. Even the most positive and pro active person can find it is very difficult to climb past the problems and feelings that come with suffering from depression. There are all sorts of things to think of. Not just how you feel, but how others see you and how it ...
Views: 3233(1 vote) - ***Tools for Transforming Depression - by Submitted on Apr 26, 2012 from Karen Mehringer, MAIf you find yourself feeling unmotivated, lacking energy for life, grumpy or irritable, you may be depressed. Depression is typically caused by suppressed anger, at the root of which is the feeling of powerlessness. When we give our power away, our creative life force energy becomes stifled and ...
Views: 2744(3 votes) - Grief into Depression - Issues in Senior Bereavement - Why Can’t Mom Just ‘Snap Out of It’? - by Submitted on Apr 04, 2012 from Gabriela BrownLast year, I received a call from Sharon, the adult daughter of a potential client, Bette. Her father, Burt, had passed away a little over a year ago from an extended battle with cancer and Bette had been his primary caregiver. Until his passing, Bette was mobile, energetic and rarely sick. ...
Views: 2003(1 vote) - ***6 Keys to Re-Awaken Hope after Loss - by Submitted on Mar 29, 2012 from Karen Mehringer, MAWhile in the grieving process, it may feel as though hope has abandoned you. Depressed, you question your purpose for living. You ask, “Why did this happen? What is the point of it all?” You may have lost hope for living your dreams or don’t even know what they are anymore. Perhaps your loved ...
Views: 2465(2 votes) - Stress and how it affects us! - by Submitted on Mar 23, 2012 from Sharon SinclairWhy is stress so personally unique? Why do one person's buttons get pushed when others' aren't? There are no direct connections between the external stressors in day-to-day stressful situations - the boss that upsets you, or the traffic, or the loud noise - and the physiological mechanisms in ...
Views: 2629(2 votes) - The Mystery of Emotion - by Submitted on Mar 23, 2012 from Sharon SinclairThe Mystery of Emotion Emotion has always been something of a mystery. We have been taught to view emotion as a result of thought, but when we examine it carefully, we begin to suspect that this is not always true, that emotion is not under control of the brain but stands by itself, a factor ...
Views: 2501(1 vote) - Dealing With Grief - by Submitted on Apr 01, 2012 from Shiroko SokitchMary’s son died in Afghanistan a few years ago. Not much later she developed a painful ovarian cyst. She did not want to have surgery. When she came into my office, she was skeptical about the possibility of her son’s death and her cyst being related. Grief like most painful emotions is one ...
Views: 2052(2 votes) - 16 Ways to Get Through Tough Times - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2012 from Nicole NenningerEveryone has times during their lives that are challenging. Illness, the loss of a job, death, divorce, a relationship break-up, parental alienation, and other life-changing events serve to push us over the edge if we aren’t careful. While we may not have control over some of our ...
Views: 2844(4 votes) - ***Living a Purposeful Life - by Submitted on Mar 14, 2012 from Karen Mehringer, MASurrounded by royal blue water extending beyond the horizon in all directions, no land in sight, I gaze at the path of diamonds dancing on the ocean’s surface. The sun radiating on my skin feels like a warm cashmere sweater. It is August 19, 1998, and I am on my first ocean passage of a ...
Views: 2050(3 votes) - Decluttering a Loved One's Possessions - by Submitted on Feb 24, 2012 from Beth DargisFirst of all, no one, not decluttering gurus, best friends or anyone else can tell you what to get rid of and what is important to keep. Only you know the stories behind your possessions and how they affect you. There is no "should." You don’t have to get rid of anything. But, if you feel ...
Views: 2002(1 vote) - Dealing with Grief and Loss - by Submitted on Feb 09, 2012 from Grace AbonilloWe can never escape death. It is inevitable and yet when a loved one or a close friend died we suffered a great range of emotions. We desperately try to avoid the hurt, the pain, anxiety and feelings of helplessness we feel when we lost a loved one. Then we feel like life has gone back to ...
Views: 2299(3 votes)