Finally, real help for grievers from a medical professional who has been there. One out of every ten grievers gets stuck in complicated grief. If you have complicated grief, you remain mired in the early, acute stages of grief indefinitely. CG affects your ability to move through grief in a healthy way and hinders your ability to function in everyday life. A Registered Nurse, Rhonda O'Neill was diagnosed with complicated grief after her husband and son died within two years of each other. She shares her struggle with CG for those years and shares how she found her way back to healthy grief and was finally able to live her life with some happiness again. It is not easy to understand the symptoms and implications of complicated grief. Here, the author uses her medical background to translate some confusing information on complicated grief into clear terms for the non-medical griever. The first section of the book is a memoir of the author's blessings and losses. She describes her loving, blended family, her descent into the fog after her husband's death, the issues she faced as the single mother of a dying son, and the love and regrets that assail a grieving mother. In section two, you will find easy-to-understand information to help you determine whether you are suffering with CG. And since the Western view on death seeks to make dying and grieving invisible, you will find real help about what you can expect and how you can care for yourself in your often lonely struggle. Finally, since grieving can awaken a yearning to understand the meaning of life and death, you will need some kind of spiritual path to help you cope, whether traditional or nontraditional. You will find ideas about how to begin the search for the answers you need.

Grief is a natural reaction to the loss of a treasured person. In time, the loss is usually assimilated, but, for some, the mourning process becomes disrupted or stuck. Grief remains long-lasting and unresolved, and the death as painful as if it had happened yesterday. This book looks at how to cope with this kind of reaction to bereavement, so that it becomes possible to accept the death and master its impact. Topics include: The difference between 'normal' and 'complicated' grief; Links with other conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression; Understanding the impact of grief; How to manage related emotions such as anger and guilt; Identifying unhelpful thinking; Using memories and visual imagery positively; Moving your loved one from your mind to your heart; How to create a lasting memorial

Shares the author's personal experiences with anxiety, describing its painful coherence and absurdities while sharing the stories of other sufferers to illustrate anxiety's intellectual history and influence.

In this groundbreaking new work, David Kessler—an expert on grief and the coauthor with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross of the iconic On Grief and Grieving—journeys beyond the classic five stages to discover a sixth stage: meaning. In 1969, Elisabeth Kübler Ross first identified the stages of dying in her transformative book On Death and Dying. Decades later, she and David Kessler wrote the classic On Grief and Grieving, introducing the stages of grief with the same transformative pragmatism and compassion. Now, based on hard-earned personal experiences, as well as knowledge and wisdom earned through decades of work with the grieving, Kessler introduces a critical sixth stage. Many people look for “closure” after a loss. Kessler argues that it’s finding meaning beyond the stages of grief most of us are familiar with—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—that can transform grief into a more peaceful and hopeful experience. In this book, Kessler gives readers a roadmap to remembering those who have died with more love than pain; he shows us how to move forward in a way that honors our loved ones. Kessler’s insight is both professional and intensely personal. His journey with grief began when, as a child, he witnessed a mass shooting at the same time his mother was dying. For most of his life, Kessler taught physicians, nurses, counselors, police, and first responders about end of life, trauma, and grief, as well as leading talks and retreats for those experiencing grief. Despite his knowledge, his life was upended by the sudden death of his twenty-one-year-old son. How does the grief expert handle such a tragic loss? He knew he had to find a way through this unexpected, devastating loss, a way that would honor his son. That, ultimately, was the sixth state of grief—meaning. In Finding Meaning, Kessler shares the insights, collective wisdom, and powerful tools that will help those experiencing loss. Finding Meaning is a necessary addition to grief literature and a vital guide to healing from tremendous loss. This is an inspiring, deeply intelligent must-read for anyone looking to journey away from suffering, through loss, and towards meaning.

In this thoroughly revised and updated classic, a renowned psychologist shows that mourning is far from predictable, and all of us share a surprising ability to be resilient The conventional view of grieving--encapsulated by the famous five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance--is defined by a mourning process that we can only hope to accept and endure. In The Other Side of Sadness, psychologist and emotions expert George Bonanno argues otherwise. Our inborn emotions--anger and denial, but also relief and joy--help us deal effectively with loss. To expect or require only grief-stricken behavior from the bereaved does them harm. In fact, grieving goes beyond mere sadness, and it can actually deepen interpersonal connections and even lead to a new sense of meaning in life.

Provides a variety of case examples applying theory to practice when working with those dealing with grief and loss. Grief and Loss: Theories and Skills for the Helping Professions, 2/e, allows readers to see how essential theories and skills will enhance their own practice. They will gain the core knowledge and skills needed to work with individuals, families, groups, and communities who are experiencing loss and the grief that accompanies it Culture, spirituality, age, gender and other factors that influence grief reactions are discussed, helping readers understand and work with diverse populations. Individual and programmatic responses to grieving people are also included. Each chapter contains exercises that encourage readers to apply the concepts learned and MySocialWorkLab includes a variety of Internet resources and supplemental learning tools. Learning Goals Upon completing this book, readers should be able to: Acquire core knowledge and skills that will prepare readers to work with individuals, families, groups, and communities who are experiencing loss and the grief that accompanies it Understand normal and complicated grief reactions Identify actual as well as symbolic losses Recognize the factors the positively and negatively influence grief reactions Understand the resources and interventions that are effective in helping those who are grieving Note: MySocialWorkLab does not come automatically packaged with this text. To purchase MySocialWorkLab, please visit: www.mysocialworklab.com or you can purchase a valuepack of the text + MySocialWorkLab (at no additional cost). VP: 0205206816

The loss of a loved one is one of the most painful experiences that most of us will ever have to face in our lives. This book recognises that there is no single solution to the problems of bereavement but that an understanding of grief can help the bereaved to realise that they are not alone in their experience. Long recognised as the most authoritative work of its kind, this new edition has been revised and extended to take into account recent research findings on both sides of the Atlantic. Parkes and Prigerson include additional information about the different circumstances of bereavement including traumatic losses, disasters, and complicated grief, as well as providing details on how social, religious, and cultural influences determine how we grieve. Bereavement provides guidance on preparing for the loss of a loved one, and coping after they have gone. It also discusses how to identify the minority in whom bereavement may lead to impairment of physical and/or mental health and how to ensure they get the help they need. This classic text will continue to be of value to the bereaved themselves, as well as the professionals and friends who seek to help and understand them.