Grief and Trauma

Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Other Special Days

When we are grieving, some days are more difficult than others. Grief comes in waves like the sea and can feel like an intertwining labyrinth of emotions. Birthdays, anniversaries, and special dates that are associated with our loved one who has died can contribute to more emotionally intense days which can be worsened through the anticipation and “what ifs” of the upcoming day. These difficult days can leave us feeling defeated and it can almost feel like we’ve taken two steps backward in our grieving process, but grief does not have a timeline, and these feelings of setbacks are opportunities for healing.

Grief and Parenting in the Disability Community

In this blog post, Carrie writes about being the parent and primary caregiver to a child with disabilities and grieving the loss of a child dying from their disabilities.

Sarah K – Grieving in isolation

Sarah discusses isolation, being in grief during the pandemic and the importance of keeping connected

Krista – “Range of emotions”

Krista talks about the journey towards acceptance.

Cheryl and Mike – “Multiple losses”

Cheryl and Mike discuss the differences in loss of people who love you unconditionally. They continue to grieve Cheryl’s father and the death their daughter in a car accident.

Donna B – “Anxiety Attacks”

Donna shares her experiences with anxiety and how she deals with it. Donna continues to grieve the death her son during service in Afghanistan.

Angie – Cumulative grief, cumulative trauma

Angie discusses the challenges of policing and how trauma and grief can accumulate

Christian – “Grief can shape you”

Christian talks about realizing the impact grief has.

Russell – “Need to talk”

Russell talks about both mothers and fathers having needs. Russell continues to grieve the perinatal death of his son.

Christian – “Remembering together in a meaningful way”

Christian discusses the power of memories.

Shannon – Losing is a life skill

Shannon shares about losing her husband to suicide, her parents and her father-in-law. She felt broken and to be able to take care of her kids and her self seemed overwhelming. It took someone telling her that you can heal from trauma to give her hope for healing.

Rev. Sky – “Feeling stuck”

Rev. Sky describes being stuck and shifting.