Death By Overdose

What Does Grief Support Look Like?

When we experience significant, on-going symptoms of grief that interfere with our adjustment to the reality of our loss, it can be time to seek professional help. It can be difficult to know where to find help and what grief support options are available.

Christian – Grieving spaces

Christian talks grieving spaces and people coming together when grieving

Kristal – Attending Memorials as a Support Worker

Kristal discusses the importance of finding ways to honour people that have been lost and how they have impacted you. She speaks to how she often chooses not to attend public memorials for those she has lost as a support worker as they are often very overwhelming. Instead, she has her own personal rituals or ways of honouring those she has lost personally including opening a window. She discusses how this practice was used when she worked in palliative care.

Kristal – Poetry, Comedy, & Art for Grieving

Kristal discusses using poetry and other forms of creative expression as a distraction from her grief and to disassociate in a safe and productive way. She discusses grief being love with nowhere to go, so she puts it into art.

Kate – Time to process

Kate shares about time and processing her grief especially during COVID

Kate – Getting support

Kate talks about how difficult it is to ask for support

The Reflection Room® project: How storytelling supports processing grief

The Reflection Room project is an evidence-based participatory art installation that was developed by researchers at the SE Research Centre and Memorial University in 2016. The project included a research component that evaluated the impact of Reflection Rooms as the project adapted over time to address changing needs.

Krista – “Educate yourself”

Krista explains what she thinks is the most important thing to do.Krista continues to grieve the death of her son from opioid overdose.

Sarah K – Coping

Sarah discusses how she copes with this unbelievably painful loss

Kristal – Anger with Grief

Kristal discusses finding ways to channel her anger due to poor policy leading to deaths from drug poisoning and those individuals not having the support they needed. She discusses how human beings have the right to be flawed and should have the ability to grow, heal, and change.

Krista – “It does get easier”

Krista talks about time and acceptance. Krista continues to grieve the death of her son from opioid overdose.

Kate – Trust and listening

Kate – explains how having someone you trust is super important so that you can have a space space to go to