Grieving is learning as our brains adjust to profound change. “Thinking of grieving as a form of learning makes [grief] a little more familiar and helps us to understand,” said psychologist Mary-Frances O’Connor
Tag: suicide survivors
Being Honest about your Grief
Replacing "I'm sorry" statements with "thank you."
Boundaries
While grieving — and at all other times — it is important to be aware of, protect, and set clear boundaries with others. If you are like many of us, you may have some difficulty saying no to people. If saying NO to others is difficult for you, below are some other ways that you can say NO that may work for you.
Honoring our loved one’s qualities
There are many ways we move forward after losing someone we love to suicide. One way survivors have found they could move forward while remaining connected to their loved ones is to remember their loved one's character strengths and to emulate them.
“Pain is Inevitable – Suffering is Optional.”
Pain and suffering are not the same things. This graphic shows how emotional pain (not physical pain) is a natural response to an emotionally disturbing event. Suffering is our response to the event with negative self-talk and actions intended to avoid or numb the pain we feel. We can keep filling that suffering portion of the graphic up with unhealthy coping mechanisms and negative self-talk, but none of them ever address the actual feelings that have caused our pain. In fact, negative self-talk may be another way we avoid feeling the actual pain.
2 New Emotional Support Lines
Two new services recently became available for persons struggling with mental health issues and in need of emotional support. New 988 suicide and crisis lifeline and the Florida Warm Line.
Ashley Judd on Mental Illness, Her Mother’s Death & The Importance of Grief Support
Nobody’s grief process looks exactly the same. It’s personal, specific, and often, private — which is why today’s tender conversation is such a privilege. David speaks with actress and activist Ashley Judd on the recent death of her mother, as well as her experiences of sexual assault and abuse.
The Grief Process: How do we Know if we are Progressing?
During our group meetings, members often express that they can't tell if they are progressing in their grief process or just going in circles. While progress in anything in life… Continue reading The Grief Process: How do we Know if we are Progressing?
How to Deal with Regret
We all have hopes and dreams of what we have wanted to accomplish in life, yet most of the time your life is not quite the picture you painted for yourself. Missing out on life and opportunities can create personal discontent, depression and often isolation. The list of things you haven't done can be compelling and overwhelm you.
Then you might realize something: You are not that person anymore, and in another second, you will again be someone new. Letting go of the weight of past regrets gives you a better chance of becoming who you want to be today.
How to Eliminate Guilt
Are you feeling guilty about something? Maybe you’re feeling guilty because you failed to live up to your personal expectations. Maybe it’s because you failed to live up to other people’s expectations of you. Maybe you did something hurtful to someone else, or maybe you embarrassed someone or wronged others in some way. Or maybe it’s all about you. You are feeling guilty because you didn’t keep a promise you made to yourself.
No matter how you look at it, guilt is never a pleasant emotion and often has some dire consequences. However, it is an emotion you can work through successfully and even progressively eradicate from your life over time.