Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

Thoughts on International Overdose Awareness Day 2023

We lead multifaceted lives, and the deaths of those we love who have died by drug poisoning contain multitudes. The death of a loved one can bring intense grief, shock, anger, shame, or guilt. People who use drugs, and those who love them that they leave behind, face stigma in North America’s dominant, settler culture.

Jenn – Barriers to art

Jenn talks about the barriers that may prevent someone from including art as part of their grief or emotional process including judgment of your art skills and more.

Maureen – “Grief can change the landscape of your relationships”

Maureen discusses how relationships can be challenged by grief.

Janice – “More to deal with than death when someone dies”

Janice explains that when somebody dies it’s not just the death that you are dealing with but the entire relationship.

Madelyn – Grieving process as a 2nd generation Canadian

Madelyn talks about being a 2nd generation Canadian, some things she has learend working in palliative care as a music therapist

Janice – “Grieving as long as you need to grieve”

Janice talks about her personal grief experiences and understanding the need for grieving as long as you need to.

Jean – Helping your children through grief

Jean discusses how helping her children through grief also helped her

Maureen – “Anger”

Maureen talks about the power of anger and how to deal with it.

Keith – “Hope”

Keith talks about time, healing and hope.

Shannon – Blessings and sadness

Shannon discusses how just showing up, being present is a powerful way of supporting to someone who has lost. Listen more – talk less.

Donna – “Living with grief”

Donna talks about the threads of grief and her personal experience.

Jenn – What an art therapist can show us about processing grief

Jenn talks about how art can give a form to grief. It can give it shape and texture so it can be seen when it is often so invisible. It can also be messy which so like our grief experience