It is amazing how wen one experiences grief, how real and different it is from simply reading about grief. One then is cast into the hell of reality that is about loss. Where emotions come and go and sadness remains a constant.
Experiencing the stages of grief can be overwhelming Please also review our Grief Counseling Program
The article, “What I Didn’t Understand About The Stages Of Grief — Until I Was In Them” by Caila Smith states,
My daughter died from SIDS when I was 22 years old. My life was just beginning, the best was supposedly yet to come, and I was hit with a head-on collision of life-shattering grief. Other than my grandma’s passing ten years prior, I’d never felt grief. So I definitely never thought about the stages that are known to go along with it.
After losing a child, many come to your side and listen. Many feel horrible about your loss and look to comfort you as well. However, soon as time goes by, even years, the need to discuss the loss becomes less and less. For those who never experience this, it appears over, but for those who have children or who have loss a child, realizes that such losses never go away. One may learn to adjust but the pain never ceases. In this way, it is another pain suffered by parents when the life of a child loss is years later no longer a topic.
It can be very difficult to discuss child loss BUT parents want to talk about it. Please also review our Grief Counseling Certification
Others are fearful to discuss the loss of a child at any time. They fear the topic is too taboo or do not know how to bring up such a tragedy. In many cases, this makes it worse for the bereaved parents as well, who need the outlet to discuss the loss itself.
The article, ‘When people don’t want to talk about your child, it feels very lonely’ by Chloe Booker addresses this sadness. She states,
“The number one thing you can do to help someone in this scenario is to just talk about their child. It’s no different to a child on earth, to a child no longer here with us, you still want to talk about them.”
Good article on simply taking the time to write condolence letter for one in grief. It does not have to be deep but simply an acknowledgement of the loss. While somethings can be said that should not be, it is best to at least say something brief for the bereaved. This article looks at the importance of even a simple statement
Sometimes a short letter with flowers means so much for those suffering. Please also review our Grief Counseling Program
The article, The Gift of Shared Grief”: It’s hard to know what to say to people in mourning. Say something anyway.” by Margarat Renkl states,
When my mother died in 2012, she left behind a huge collection of memorabilia. Not just the usual love letters, family photographs and cherished recipe cards but also random items that almost no one else bothers to save. Parking tickets. Embossed cocktail napkins from the weddings of people I’ve never heard of.”
In grief and loss, we speak about tangible losses, losses, we can summarize, quantify, and then adjust and adapt to that loss. Whether it is the loss of a family member, or a relationship, or a precious thing, one can accept the fact that it gone and proceed with the healing processes of grief. The process of grief and adjusting to loss, however, is disrupting when unresolved grief occurs.
Unresolved grief can have many long term affects on a person. Please review our Certified Grief Counselor Program
What exactly is unresolved grief? Unresolved grief is a type of complication in the grieving process that prevents a natural and healthy conclusion to the loss. It prevents the person from accepting the loss, or moving forward in a healthy fashion. It leaves the person in a type of perpetual mental limbo.
This type of reaction can be internally or externally caused. If one has issues with the deceased that were never resolved, then an emotional soup of various feelings can emerge with no particular direction towards resolution. This can occur, especially with such cases as suicide, as well as with sudden death of a loved one. In some cases, there are unresolved emotional issues between the person and deceased that were never resolved while both were alive. This can lead to unresolved feelings later.
Apart from internal causes, external causes can put one in a state of unresolved grief. When a loved one is abducted or missing, then this can lead to a perpetual state of unresolved feelings. This is perhaps one of the greatest pains a parent can feel because they are in perpetual fear and anxiety of what has happened to their child. If the case never comes to a conclusion, the parents are never mentally allowed to find acceptance in the fact their child is probably dead. Without a proper funeral, justice, or verification, the parents and family can be scarred traumatically.
So many individuals suffer grave injustices in the world. From fugitives who escape justice to mass genocide, individuals who survive these crimes, face not only personal recovery, but also a resolution in regards to justice and the conclusion found in that justice. When justice is not handed out, the unresolved grief festers within the soul and demands justice to finally give them and the victims peace. This was especially true of the Holocaust survivors who faced not only their recovery from the person trauma, but also the demand of social justice against the criminals who perpetrated the crimes.
Through trials and justice, many find the conclusion they need to finally heal completely from the loss. Seeing a murderer or rapist brought to trial, gives the victim and families the closure they need to be able to rebuild their life. Without that closure, the unresolved issues of their grief will continue to haunt them.
Unresolved grief itself can cause anxiety, depression, lead to eruptions of anger and frustration, leaving the person in a state of emotional limbo. It is because of this, that clients need help in understanding what they can control and what they cannot. It takes more than merely a certified grief counselor but also a licensed mental counselor with grief training to help an individual through unresolved grief.
If you would like to learn more about Grief Counseling or would like to become a certified Grief Counselor, then please review our program and see if it matches your academic and professional needs.
Noone can comprehend the pain and suffering a parent suffers when they lose a child. This is perhaps the most painful cross on earth. Naturally it carries many complications for a parent who unnaturally buries a child.
The loss of a child can devastate any parent. Please also review our Grief Counseling Certification Program
The article, What the Death of a Child Does to Parents, Psychologically and Biologically, by Joshue Krisch reviews the psychological, as well as biological tool on parents. He states,
“The death of a child may be considered the worst trauma that any human can experience. Though it’s not a terribly common experience in the United States—about 10,000 children between the ages of 1 and 14 died in 2016—the horrific potential for childhood mortality looms large.”
People cope and face grief differently. Some look to hobbies, other looks to social life, while some may be introvert. In this story, a woman turns to reading to help her go through the process of grief.
People turn to different venues to deal with grief and reading is so no exception. Please also review our Bereavement Counseling Program
The article, “How Reading Helped This Woman Process Her Grief” by Bethanne Patrick states,
“In All the Lives We Ever Lived: Seeking Solace in Virginia Woolf, Smyth turns to an unlikely source of solace after her father’s death: her favorite book, Woolf’s 1927 masterpiece To the Lighthouse. Blending analysis of a deeply literary novel with a personal story is a high-wire act for many reasons, not least being how few readers will have read Woolf themselves.”
Like music, when someone can relate to a story, one is more apt to use it as motivation or find solace in it. This was the case in the story above of how a woman found herself in the story. This can definitely help some cope. Please also review our Bereavement Counseling Program
Good article on the story of a single father who faced the mental issues of his spouse and taught his children how to grieve. This story reveals how one must grieve but also fulfill other duties to children especially. It points to the love of a parent to care for one’s children despite all pain.
Parenting and grief unfortunately meet quite frequently. Please also review our Grief Counseling Courses
The article, “My dad’s lesson in parenting through grief, served with a side of eggs” byMarjorie Clark Brimley relates how her father continued to parent despite grief, teaching the children the importance of proper coping. The article states,
“When I was growing up, my mother’s mental illness meant that she did not wake up early. It also meant that she never made me breakfast, even though she was the parent who stayed home. Fortunately, early on my father had mastered the art of a scrambled egg, buttered toast and limited conversation. That was enough to bring my teenage self to the table each day.”
A sudden death is always tragic. It is unexpected and because of that can cause more trauma than an expected death. Noone is truly prepared to see a loved one pass away but sudden death can cause many issues for the grieving. In particular, the nature of the death, as well as unresolved issues due to the sudden passing, can all cause more intense grief reactions.
A sudden loss can be very painful and filled with complications.. Please also review our Grief Counseling Program
Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Program and see if it matches your academic or professional needs.
Good article on dealing with anxiety, depression and mental illness. These things should not be a stigma but treated as any other health issue. Mental health is key to an overall healthy life.
Mental health is as important as physical health. Please also review our Grief Counseling Certification
The article, “Dealing With Anxiety, Mental Illness and Grief” by Judith Newman states,
“Anxiety” is a mild term for what can be a severe mental illness. In fact, anxiety disorders of various degrees are among the most common mental illnesses in America, affecting more than one in five adults.
With anxiety being so common, as well as depression, we as a society need to be more focused on helping others through these things. Certified Grief Counselors can help identify these more complicated health issues and direct individuals to licensed counselors for help. Please also review our Grief Counseling Certification to learn more how you can help. The program is open to licensed counselors as well.
Ecological grief is becoming more a common reality in society. Ecological grief deals with the collective and social mindset of our times in dealing with the losses in our environment. As global warming continues, pollution increases, and natural landscapes destroyed, society is sensing the collective loss. This loss is something we all deal with on a day to day basis.
Ecological Grief affects everyone in society. Please also review our Grief Counseling Certification
The article,”It’s Time to Talk About Ecological Grief” by Michaela Cavanaugh states,
But a growing body of evidence demonstrates that climate change and its effects are linked to elevated rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, post-traumatic stress, and a host of negative emotions including anger, hopelessness, despair, and a feeling of loss. Researchers have dubbed these feelings “ecological grief.”
