Holidays are never quite the same after someone we love dies. Even small aspects of a birthday or a Christmas celebration — an empty seat at the dinner table, one less gift to buy or make — can serve as jarring reminders of how our lives have been forever changed. Although these realizations are hard[…]
Sleep Problems Grief can keep you from getting the regular sleep your mind and body need. You might have trouble going to sleep, or you might wake up often in the night or even sleep too much. Good sleep habits can help. Wind down slowly before bed with something calm like a bath, a book,[…]
Depression is one of the most common types of mental illness among Americans. While everyone has experienced sadness, not everyone has experienced depression. In fact, if you’ve never been depressed, chances are that you don’t have a real grasp on what living with this complex mental illness is like. Depression is insidious. It affects[…]
While other people compile their resolutions for the start of the new year which will more than likely be something like resolving to be more patient, lose weight or start exercising, a new year without a loved one poses different challenges. You may have managed, with tears and longing, to get through Christmas without your[…]
Effects on Individuals If you are a faculty or staff member working in a department where a colleague has been recently diagnosed with a serious illness or has died, you might be experiencing a number of feelings over the days and weeks. Strong personal bonds are often formed within work groups, and the experience of[…]
KEY POINTS A person’s story about a trauma or loss will either limit them or help them create a life they love. It’s never too late for one to rewrite their story about a trauma or loss. Through loss, people learn to value life in this moment and to live and love fully, knowing[…]
“It was the most difficult phone call I ever had to make,” said Carma Peters, CEO of Michigan Legacy Credit Union in Wyandotte, Mich. An employee at her company—Sandy, a 31-year-old single mother—had died of COVID-19. Peters had been in contact with Sandy’s parents but had not shared with others that Sandy[…]
When you lose someone you love, the grief can be overwhelming. Though explanations alone can never be enough to soothe soul-searing grief, gaining a better understanding of it may help you through the initial period of acute grief. According to Dr. Katherine Shear, the founding director for the Center for Complicated Grief at Columbia[…]
Hello, Given the events in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio over the weekend, we wanted to provide a link to resources that are available. For information and resources, please visit our resource page: What Now? After the Weekend Shootings … We are extremely saddened to post this information again. If you or[…]
Many people mistakenly believe that grief is a single emotion, but normal grief is actually a powerful, multifaceted and often uncontrollable response that human beings experience following a personally painful or traumatic event, such as the death of a loved one. In other words, grief can affect us not only emotionally but also physically, mentally, and even[…]