Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

Left Out: Enfranchising Children’s Grief and Loss

By: Jessica Milette, MSW, RSW All human beings have the capacity to grieve: people with intellectual disabilities, those living with a traumatic brain injury, and children of all ages. However, many people can experience disenfranchised grief when someone dies. Disenfranchised grief is generally grief that is not usually openly acknowledged, socially accepted or publicly mourned.…

Jean – What grief feels like physically

Jean discusses the physical effects she has experienced in grief

Maureen – Grief and Holidays

Maureen talks about feelings duing holidays

Rev. Sky – “Feeling numb”

Rev. Sky discusses how feeling numb is a normal emotion and what you need to move forward.

Jacqueline – Humour

Jacqueline talks about how huour has a place in grieving

Claudia – My story

Claudia tells her story about art and grief

Maureen – “If someone you know has experienced pregnancy & infant loss”

Maureen explains practical tools to help someone who is grieving.

Corrie – We cry because we love

Corrie talks about crying, hurt and love

Chantal – Grief and art therapy group

Chantal talks about the honour of being witness to other peoples story and exploration of grief and art therapy

A Million Other Things: Grieving a Drug Poisoning Death

Sister, father, son, niece, best friend – some of these words might be how you would describe your loved one who has died of an overdose or drug poisoning. People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) are not defined by their substance use – they are a million other things to those who love and miss them dearly. Drug poisoning and overdose deaths are stigmatized in our society. The focus is on how the person died, not who they are. Society still holds onto old notions and beliefs about drugs which come with a value judgment about people who use drugs, which further contributes to stigma. Not everyone who uses drugs is an addict and not all drug use is inherently problematic. People who use drugs deserve dignity and respect when we are remembering and honouring those who have died by overdose or drug poisoning.

Carrie – Thanatology

Carrie explains how thanatolgy is the study of death dying grief and loss.

Cheryl – “My story”

Cheryl talks about her daughter’s organ donations.