Although they are quite different, they look surprisingly alike. Panelist Dr. Michael Miller, editor of the Harvard Mental Health Letter and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, said that with both grief and depression “People cry. They feel depressed. They’re having trouble sleeping. They may not have an appetite. They may not feel like doing anything. They may not take pleasure in anything.”
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When a person you love dies, it’s natural to grieve, express your grief and expect friends and family to provide understanding and comfort. Unfortunately, when a beloved pet dies, many people are less understanding of the deep affect it has on your life. Some may think or say, “it’s just a pet” and think that your pain may pass in a matter of days or with the “replacement” of another animal. Nothing could be further from the truth.
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Our first real date was on Valentine’s Day 10 years ago. Many times in the five years since my partner died, I’ve flashed back to that day when we became, officially, more than just friends.

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Identity is a funny thing. The way we think of ourselves, how we define ourselves, the story we tell ourselves about who we are, all of that comes together to create our identity. And yet we don’t always have a conscious awareness of our identity or even a loss of identity. It often exists in the background, like the soundtrack of a film. We aren’t consciously aware of it until something changes. Seriously, have you ever watched familiar movie clips without the soundtrack? It’s weird.
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You can’t protect your kids from the pain of loss, but you can help build healthy coping skills

by Rachel Ehmke

Most young children are aware of death, even if they don’t understand it. Death is a common theme in cartoons and television, and some of your child’s friends may have already lost a loved one. But experiencing grief firsthand is a different and often confusing process for kids. As a parent, you can’t protect a child from the pain of loss, but you can help him feel safe. And by allowing and encouraging him to express his feelings, you can help him build healthy coping skills that will serve him well in the future.

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Perhaps you have already read it – it’s on the best sellers list. It’s “Option B” by Sheryl Sandberg. Sheryl is a top executive at Facebook. Her spouse, also a high exec in technology, died suddenly in 2004, leaving her with 2 young children.
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Losing someone you love is painful. Often, we may feel a mixture of happiness, sadness, angry and lonely emotions.  These emotions might leave us in a dark place, and we may wonder if we will ever see the light. We question: when does the pain go away? Will I only remember the bad? What will I do now? Where do I start? Will I ever heal?
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Sibling relationships are like no other. There is a commonality that does not often exist in other relationships. When a sibling dies, the loss can be overpowering. Siblings are often thought of as the “forgotten mourners.” Friends, neighbors, and other family members offer comfort and support to Mom and Dad, and often neglect siblings which can disenfranchise their grief.

This one is for parents trying to get a handle on how to understand what their child is going through after losing a brother or sister. Read on and let us know if this was helpful.

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When a child loses someone they love and feel close to, they are often experiencing overwhelming emotions they have never had before and they don’t know what to do with them. Many times the adults in their life are going through the same thing at the same time and don’t quite know how to best support the children around them when they themselves are in such need of support. Children like adults will heal from their grief if it is shared with others and not kept inside tucked away like a volcano hotly smoldering
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