We scan the web frequently to find relevant news stories about loss, grief and bereavement and related topics which we believe may be of interest. You can scroll through the summaries on this page. If you wish to see more of the story and/or comment on it, click on Read more or Comment, and it will take you to the story on our blog, which has the link to the entire story and a place where you can comment or start a conversation about the article. Also on our blog are topics where you can start conversations with others about grief-related topics.
Kluger: Parents need time to grieve the loss of a child May 17, 2013
Kluger: Parents need time to grieve the loss of a child
Richmond Times Dispatch (blog)
Grief visits all of us. Republicans. Democrats. Christians. Jews. Muslims. Middle class. Poor. Rich. White. Hispanic. African-American. Death doesn’t play favorites and in the 113th session of Congress, we hope our elected officials don’t either. In …
When grief needs support May 14, 2013
When grief needs support
The Star Online
Instead, grieving people need to be supported in their time of grief. The relevant authorities, the media, concerned persons and the public must know that grieving persons need the avenue to process their loss experience, ventilate their emotional pain …
Couple who lost baby to trek 146 miles for bereavement charity May 14, 2013
Couple who lost baby to trek 146 miles for bereavement charity
Henley Standard
The couple are raising money for Child Bereavement UK and have already smashed their original target of £2,000. The Polls were living in Canterbury in 1979 when they lost their daughter Ellen, who was only three months old. Four years later, they moved …
Coping with Loss on Mother’s Day May 11, 2013
Mother’s Day is all about love & family. But Mother’s Day can be a bittersweet time for those who have had their mother or a child die. Where do we belong amidst the flowers, cards, meals & celebration when we feel closer to tears than smiles? We need to focus on what we need and what brings us the most peace & comfort.
Since my mother’s passing, I have found great comfort, joy & connection in preparing some of her favorite recipes. Reading the directions in her handwriting is like hearing her voice — reminding me, instructing me, teasing me… I play some of her favorite music, look over special items in a box where I keep old cards, notes, and photos. Rather than avoid the tenderness around missing Mom, I wrap myself in her ongoing presence in my life.
Members of The Compassionate Friends have shared similar thoughts as mothers who are missing their deceased children. One woman I know bought herself a lovely necklace that simply says “Mom.” For her, it was a courageous act to declare the continued relationship after her only child had died. Being able to reach up and feel that necklace became a touchstone for her and an affirmation of her role in her child’s life.
We should also be mindful of women we know who might have been dealing with infertility problems. Their grief is often unacknowledged but deeply felt nonetheless. A simple kind gesture can mean the world to people who feel on the margins of a day focused on love.
For people who are aware of women who might be feeling a whole gamut of emotions this Mother’s Day, don’t worry about saying “just the right thing.“ A touch or hug, even saying “I don’t know what to say, but I want you to know that I care” can make all the difference.
Please take good and gentle care of yourself this Mother’s Day.
Bereavement singer/songwriter on tour in USA 2013 May 2, 2013
Bereavement singer/songwriter will perform in La Salle
MyWebTimes.com
Alan Pedersen is a bereaved father, nationally recognized inspirational speaker on grief and loss, award winning singer/songwriter and successful recording artist. He will bring his Angels Across the USA Tour 2013 to La Salle on Thursday, May 9…
Children may not show it, but still need time to grieve Apr 30, 2013
Children may not show it, but still need time to grieve
Grief and Depression: The Sages Knew the Difference Apr 30, 2013
Grief and Depression: The Sages Knew the Difference
Psychiatric Times
In the intense debate over elimination of the “bereavement exclusion” from the DSM-5, a persistent claim among those who opposed the elimination was that intense grief and mild major depression are virtually indistinguishable. This article provides interesting historical perspective on grief and depression.
Rabbi Earl Grollman receives ADEC lifetime achievement award Apr 29, 2013
Understanding Grief: Belmont’s Grollman on Living with Death
Patch.com
It honors “…an outstanding individual in the area of death, dying, grief and loss who has had a national or international impact [and is] dedicated … to the development and improvement of death education, caring for the dying person, and grief …
Local mother to help other women dealing with grief, pain of losses Apr 25, 2013
Local mother to help other women dealing with grief, pain of losses
Hometownlife.com (Detroit)
She will cover the stages of grief, moving forward and getting support through the loss. “We’ll learn how to celebrate their life also. It’s a roller coaster ride,” she said. Women who’ve had stillborn children, lost children to SIDS or miscarriages …
Grief experienced even if you have time to prepare for a loved one’s death Apr 23, 2013
Good article on anticipatory grief. Link
Reading Eagle
Farmer’s story is in no way unique, said Dr. Patti Anewalt, director of Pathways Center for Grief & Loss in Mount Joy, Lancaster County. Anticipatory grief, a form of grief that occurs while anticipating a death, is not a substitute for grief …
May 5, 2012
Author: I Dealt With Grief Through Writing And Drawing
Huffington Post
Our family ran through all the possible explanations-job loss, depression, menopause-until finally we realized it must be something neurological. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 1998. For the next six years my father cared for her, ...
May 5, 2012
Helping teens deal with grief
Cincinnati.com
... on a Journey Grief Support, Inc. Last year alone, the organization helped more than 4000 people – the majority being young people and their families – suffering from the loss of a loved one through the 35 different support groups it facilitates.
May 5, 2012
Short Hills Mom Shares Story of Grief on CBS
Patch.com
It was at that time she was diagnosed with having “complicated grief,” a prolonged grief disorder where the acute grief felt immediately after a loss can last years. Muldberg shared her story with CBS 2 New York News on Sunday and told Patch “the ...
May 5, 2012
Internationally known speaker talks about children, grief
WSLS
They offer kids a safe place where they can express their loss — whether in the form of talk therapy or art — and be surrounded by peers facing similar experiences. “People don't need to be taught how to grieve so much as allowed to,” Schuurman said.
May 1, 2012
Recovering From Loss: Coping With Cancer at Age 14
Huffington Post
My mother's inability to discuss her illness with me, the fear-based decisions that dictated the medical treatment she received and the years of confusing grief that followed in her absence. She died when I was 18 years old, during my freshman year of ...
April 30, 2012
Interview with Ira Israel | Yoga For Depression and Anxiety Video ...
I make clear temporal distinctions between physical pain, grief, and depression: physical pain is immediate, it is right now; there is no escaping it because it ...
April 30, 2012
Getting beyond the grief
Chillicothe Gazette
CHILLICOTHE -- Whenever someone dies, those who loved them are left to grapple with their grief over the loss. When the death is sudden and a result of suicide, people can feel isolated and confused about how they should grieve.
April 30, 2012
When We Lose Someone
Harvard Crimson
If you are reading this and you are struggling—whether with grief over a loss or with depression and anxiety over day-to-day living—you are not alone. Reach out to those around you, whether to friends and family or to more formal resourceslike Room ...
April 30, 2012
Loss and Grieving - ABTA
It is a sad truth that the journey of caregiving may well end in loss. With brain tumor patients, the family's grieving process and feelings of loss can begin even ...
April 27, 2012
No "stages of mourning" with the loss of a spouse
Daily News Transcript
While most people know someone who has experienced loss, very few know how to relate to them, Cotton says. Even most experts in the field of grief therapy get it wrong by attempting to guide widows and widowers through 'stages,' she says.
April 27, 2012
For those left behind, 'the grief never goes away'
Stockton Record
Williams encouraged the audience to work on forgiving those who have devastated their lives, adding that the loss never stops hurting. "I gave up on hating a long time ago," Williams said. "But the grief never goes away.
April 25, 2012
The Grief of Losing a Best Friend
Huffington Post
I still feel her loss deep in my heart. There are new friends because I am gregarious and friendship is still significant to me. I still have my writing, I still have other old friends and several newer ones and I have two grown daughters who rely on ...
April 25, 2012
Artist and Translator Collaborate on a Book About the Cruelest Loss
Seven Days
The poems are movingly brief expressions of grief by Italian poet Giuseppe Ungaretti (1888-1970) on the loss of his 9-year-old son. In all other respects, this is a Vermont project. Newbury resident Ann McGarrell translated the poems, and small, ...
April 25, 2012
10 Websites All Baby Loss Parents Should Bookmark For Grieving, Healing & Support
Babble (blog)
Navigating the grief of baby loss — whether that be due to ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death — can feel isolating and lonely. There is still this overall silence we feel, but for healthy grieving to occur (which is very ...
April 25, 2012
Bereaved workers hide grief from employers
Get Bracknell
By Becky Barnes Many people who lose a loved one often feel the need to hide that they are grieving from their employer, according to a national bereavement charity. The Bracknell branch of Cruse Bereavement Care wants to raise bereavement awareness in ...
April 25, 2012
Living with clinical depression
Trinidad Guardian
Everyone experiences episodes of unhappiness, grief, and stress and has felt saddened or taken to an extreme low which we sometimes call the “blues.” The loss of a job, divorce, broken relationships, and financial distress, are some examples of ...
April 22, 2012
Ramsey: Making a safe space for kids to grieve loss
Cincinnati.com
They will never “move on” from their loss. And there is no correct style, intensity or time frame for their grieving. But we can help a little by letting them fully experience their sadness, by not plying them for smiles. We can tell them that we are ...
April 22, 2012
Working to keep a son's memory alive
Ottawa Citizen
By SHELLEY PAGE April 21, 2012 11:02 PM Anyone who says you eventually “move on from” or “get over” the loss of a child is wrong, says Robert Beaudoin. Instead of moving forward, he says a parent can get caught between two intense feelings; deep grief, ...
April 22, 2012
Stigma of Suicide: Efforts under way to address suicide in Calhoun County
Battle Creek Enquirer
“We looked around the area, and you've got NA, AA and things like that, and grief and loss support groups,” Phillips said Friday. “Grief and loss support groups sometimes don't hit necessarily on the idea of suicide and all the extras that come with ...
April 20, 2012
Good Grief Goes to Broadway to Support "Hereafter Musical"
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
By Joseph Primo Grief and loss are not often the subject matter of Broadway musicals. But that's just the case with "Hereafter Musical", a new show about to start its two week run on off-Broadway on Tuesday, April 24th at Theater 80 on St Mark's Place.
April 20, 2012
'Jessica's House' To Help Grieving Children
KCRA Sacramento
based organization that helps children who have suffered loss. The Dougy Center has hundreds of homes across the country. Jessica's House was made a reality by Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock, where there is a grief program for children who have lost ...
April 20, 2012
Grief support for men
Wilton Bulletin
“The loss of a loved one is a profoundly heartbreaking experience but it is not the same for men as for women,” said the Rev. Karen Judd, an interfaith minister and grief and bereavement counselor with the agency. “Grief can be compounded in men ...
April 19, 2012
Teaching Children the Skill of Grieving
PsychCentral.com (blog)
They feel loss when holiday traditions change or vacations are suspended due to financial strain on the family. They feel loss when Grandpa can't pick them up and twirl them around anymore, and when Grandpa dies. Learning to grieve for losses great and ...
April 19, 2012
A mother uses art as a passage through grief
Canton Citizen Newspaper
Eventually I could go through the steps of everyday life, but the extreme loss was with me every second of every day. Slowly, very slowly, I began to let in the small wonders of life around me — to stop in awe as I watched the crocuses bloom and ...
April 17, 2012
Should grief be considered a mental illness?
SBS
There have been calls for prolonged grief to be medicalised, with some studies saying it's often associated with serious health conditions. Professor Richard Bryant told SBS' Insight program he wants a new psychiatric disorder for bereavement which ...
April 17, 2012
Seven stages of graduation grief: A survival guide
The DePauw
By Molly Sender With graduation looming just one month away, a lot of seniors are lost, confused and unable to cope with the grief of leaving DePauw. So, I took it upon myself to outline the steps you're likely to hit along to way to the receiving of ...
April 15, 2012
Grief after Grand National
ITV News
The trainer of a North Yorkshire horse put down after suffering a fracture while falling in yesterday's Grand National has spoken of his loss. According To Pete was one of two horses which died after the race. Some animal rights campaigners are calling ...
April 15, 2012
State offers grief counseling to Greenland residents
Seacoastonline.com
Paul Deignan, a disaster behavioral health coordinator, spoke to residents about the grief they are feeling and what kind of resources are available to them from the state. Deignan said officials closed the event to the media so community members would ...
April 14, 2012
Facing grief after loss of a pet
Wilton Bulletin
After observing how often the difficulty of pet loss had come up in other bereavement groups, Ms. Carpenter and the agency decided it was time to provide space and counseling for those dealing with grief over a pet. Ms. Carpenter will lead the agency's ...
April 14, 2012
Health Aware: Group helps members cope with grief
Naperville Sun
Irv Scherman, holding a photo of his late wife, Natalie, says the biggest benefits of Edward Hospital's grief support groups are being with people who understand the feelings of loss and seeing that those feelings are normal.
April 12, 2012
A Petition that Acknowledges Grief in the Workplace
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
Spousal loss can't be ignored either and it should be included in the FMLA reformation. And after that is accomplished, our death-adverse society needs to reimagine how we experience our grief and allow its lifespan in day-to-day activities and in the ...
April 11, 2012
Funeral home offering program on coping with loss
Zanesville Times Recorder
This opportunity gives families the chance to surround themselves with others, who are coping with loss, use the opportunity to remember their loved one and find the resources available to help them through their journey of grief.
April 10, 2012
Surviving suicide loss: Help, hope & healing
Philippine Star
Every suicide leaves a family grieving and struggling to understand, for a loss through suicide is like no other, and the grieving can be especially complex and traumatic. Suicide is a difficult subject to discuss or write about, ...
April 6, 2012
Grief At The Holidays: 12 Ways To Cope With Losing A Loved One This Easter And ...
Huffington Post
But when you're grieving, it can be difficult to get on board: for you, this may be a season in which you're feeling burdened by the pain of your loss. And that can be compounded when you're surrounded by others who are filled with the energy ...
March 31, 2012
Are You Depressed?
Huffington Post
Grief is the period of time it takes to process a loss, any loss, irrespective of whether it is your mother, your son, your job, your 401K, your home, your car keys, or your favorite pen -- anything that is a part of your life is something that you may ...
March 31, 2012
Travyon Martin case: Grieving a tragic death in the spotlight
The Grio
"Grieving is psychologically a natural response to loss," Parham says. "In some ways, social validation can be your worse nightmare when it expects you to act a way that you don't feel." The actual process of grieving is still debated, but in 1969, ...
March 27, 2012
Hospice conference to focus on grief, bereavement
Newton Daily News
Zucker, a grief counselor, hospice administrator, writer, consultant, teacher and public speaker who has specialized in the area of grief and loss for more than 25 years. Zucker frequently travels through the US, leading bereavement seminars for social ...
March 27, 2012
The death of pet can hurt as much as the loss of a relative
Washington Post
I haven't felt grief quite like this since, well, the death of my previous dog five years ago. How could the death of a canine possibly hurt as much as that of a family member? As the sadness lingers, part of my grieving process has been to try to ...
March 24, 2012
Loss and longing
The Canberra Times
The book delves into a discussion on the concept of grief. ''I always thought of grief as a loss,'' Guthrie says. ''You've lost someone, lost something, something that was once in your life, is no longer there. And yet that's not the same thing as not ...
March 24, 2012
Battered by grief, bruised by the system
Montreal Gazette
Three mothers have come together to tell their stories, strangers united by grief and anguish. Each has lost an adult child in terrible, violent circumstances. Kiki Sourmanis, Vera Gitelman and Deborah Henderson share a sadness, a darkness of the soul ...
March 24, 2012
Teens, Fifth Graders Help Each Other Through Grief
OPB News
“These kids don't have a repertoire about what to do with loss and death,” said English teach Linda Neuman. “They struggled, not knowing what to do with their grief.” Help came from an unexpected quarter — fifth graders at nearby Weston Middle School.
March 21, 2012
Growing Through Loss: A Grief Well Met
Huffington Post (blog)
There's nothing like loss to cancel your to-do list and plans. There's nothing like grief to erase what you thought was top priority. In the wake of what was, we must lay aside the demands of the world, attending to what's "in your face.
March 21, 2012
'MIA' depicts grief, coping with loss of family member
The Globe
“It's about dealing with grief. Now that their other son is of age, how do they deal with that?” Amplas said. “The characters ultimately have to change.” He also discussed what it is like to be the family of a soldier who is MIA.
March 18, 2012
Pettis: 'Available Man' delves into loss, grief, moving on
Broomfield Enterprise
"An Available Man" is a gem of a book, telling a heartfelt story of loneliness and grief that evolves into renewed life and hope. Kerry Pettis is a retired elementary school teacher and children's librarian who has lived in Broomfield since 1975.
March 12, 2012
Is Mourning Madness?
Slate Magazine
Others have proposed, separately, that a mourner can be labeled clinically depressed only two weeks after the loss of a loved one. The problem with both potential changes is that more people's grief will be diagnosed as abnormal or extreme, ...
March 11, 2012
Japan Tsunami: Struggle Of Grief-Stricken Town
Sky News
The mayor of a small Japanese town is struggling with his own grief as he attempts to rebuild a community torn apart by the tsunami. Futoshi Toba was elected mayor of Rikuzentakata just a few weeks before one of the most powerful earthquakes on record ...
March 7, 2012
Is Grief a Mental Illness?
Brain Blogger (blog)
Nearly every person has suffered the death a loved one. And, in nearly every case, the people left behind experience intense sadness, feelings of loss, an inability to concentrate, crying, and sleeplessness. In other words: grief.
March 4, 2012
Expressing emotions at time of grief is natural part of the process
Ironton Tribune
What role do emotions play in grief? This is a very important question that should be explored. The simple fact is that we express emotion in times of loss. With the realization of the loss that confronts us, there comes the need to express the grief ...
March 4, 2012
Is Grief a Form of Depression?
The Atlantic
Grief over the loss of a loved one has typically been considered as different from depression, although it can share many of the same symptoms: sadness, crying spells, loss of appetite, and the inability to concentrate. The source of a grieving ...
March 4, 2012
When Children Grieve
Science 2.0 (blog)
We grieve in our own ways and in our own time. Some of us push the losses into the dusty recesses of our mind and refuse to go there. Some of us cannot and remain in the immediacy of the loss, continually bombarded with it so that we are sucker punched ...
March 3, 2012
REVIEW: 'Dying City' taps into feelings of grief and loss
Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier
In his director's note, Glockner writes that “death, loss, grief, war, violence, love, sex and betrayal are at the core of Dying City, and are issues all of us must face in life.” The near-capacity audience at last Saturday evening's performance surely ...
March 2, 2012
Why we grieve teen idols: A tribute to Davy Jones
CNN
A lot of the people who are grieving this loss are in their 40s and 50s, Gallo said, adding, "It's a case of, 'Wow, he's one of me.' People think of him as, 'He's from my lifetime. He's my age.' " And though it seems like a far departure, ...
March 1, 2012
Does Parenting While Grieving Help Us Heal?
LifeGoesStrong
Daughter: How long will you be in grief? Me: Well, some part of me will be grieving the loss for the rest of my life. But as time passes, more of me will come out of the fog and will be more fun again, laugh loud again, be driving you crazy again.
March 1, 2012
After Loss … What Next?
GazeboNews
Certified grief and life crisis coach Maria Malin of Lake Forest shares a similar view. “Grief stemming from tragic, sudden loss is best shared with others,” she said. “Studies show that for especially for our youth, it is essential to find safe places ...
February 29, 2012
How long does grief last?
Chicago Tribune
Is it normal to grieve this long? A. I'm sorry to learn of your loss. The brief answer to your question is that everyone grieves differently. Rarely does grief have a clear beginning, middle, and end, like hiking up a mountain and back down along a ...
February 29, 2012
When Good Grief Goes Bad
Huffington Post (blog)
This is grief that does not resolve naturally and persists far into the indefinite future as a defining feature severely adversely affecting the life of the survivor. The person is incapacitated by grief, so focused on the loss that it is difficult to ...
February 29, 2012
What Culture Teaches Us About Grief
Huffington Post (blog)
Cross-cultural studies on grief have taught us that the answer to that question is far more complex than we once believed. In fact, the only universal statement we can really affirm is that each culture has developed ways to respond to loss.
February 29, 2012
Talking, support key in coping with loss late in life
Sioux City Journal
Brenda Zahnley, director of bereavement services at Christy-Smith Funeral Home, said the spouse left behind may face economical, environmental and social changes while going through the grieving process. She explained that surviving spouse may need to ...
February 28, 2012
Grief is a universal experience for all
mydigitalfc.com
Religion comes to our aid, especially when we grieve the demise of a beloved. Contemporary world atheists face an added dilemma in grieving the loss of their own beloved. A few years ago, when Rebecca Hensler, a 43-year-old school counsellor from ...
February 27, 2012
'Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close' looks at loss and grief from a child's ...
Manila Bulletin
Only Foer's second novel (his first, “Everything is Illuminated” was also turned into a movie), it is said to be the first major literary exploration into the grief of 9/11 families. It is also said that when director Stephen Daldry—a three-time Oscar ...
February 27, 2012
Help your child overcome grief
New Vision
As she coped with her loss, she contemplated suicide several times. You can help children cope with death by: The concept of death is hard for children to grasp. As an adult, it is your role to explain to the child what has happened.