posted 12-05-2000 09:11 PM         

quote:

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Originally posted by DrHolly:
I am impressed by the depth of the responses posted in this discussion. As a social work professor with 20 years of experience in clinical social work, I conducted a bereavement group this summer for families who had lost a loved one. It was a very powerful and moving experience. I also lost my mother a year and a half ago and have realized that I have just begun to grieve. The program last night brought to light the commonality of the grief experience. I would encourage anyone coping with issues of death, dying and bereavement to consider attending a bereavement group. Family members don't always come together around the death of a loved one--sometimes the death of a loved one accentuates the unique differences among family members. Sometimes, family members are too close to be able to talk openly to each other. It can be very valuable to connect with others who share a similar experience without being related to them. In the bereavement group I facilitated this summer, group members formed a very powerful bond with each other in a very short amount of time. Grief is an ongoing growth experience that doesn't begin and end in a prescribed amount of time. We need to talk much more about this issue and educate ourselves about the process of dying and the normalcy of the grief experience.

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posted 03-24-2003 06:08 PM         

I find that talking and writing about him, and especially his death, are the only useful tools I have right now. I am raw with grief.