Content Note: This episode discusses traumatic loss, sudden death, and the emotional and physical symptoms of traumatic bereavement. If you’ve experienced a recent loss or are in a tender place, please take care while listening. You can pause, come back later, or skip entirely—your well-being matters most.

What happens when grief doesn’t just hurt—but unravels everything?

When my husband Brent drowned unexpectedly, I wasn’t just grieving his absence. I was reeling from how it happened—the shock, the terror, the disbelief. That kind of loss doesn’t just break your heart. It can break your sense of safety, your identity, and even your body’s ability to feel like your own.

In this episode, I share what I’ve learned as both a young widow and a grief researcher about traumatic bereavement—a term that describes what happens when the circumstances of a loss overwhelm your ability to process it. We talk about what makes a loss traumatic, how grief and trauma tangle together, and why so many young widows feel stuck in pain for longer than anyone expects.

We’ll explore:

• What traumatic bereavement is (and why it’s different from “normal” grief)
• The four core processes of mourning—and how trauma disrupts them
• The raw, often unspoken pain of yearning in acute grief
• How trauma symptoms like numbness, panic, or disbelief are common responses to devastating loss
• Ways to begin making sense of a loss that feels senseless
• Why self-compassion and trauma-informed care are essential for healing

This episode is for anyone living in the wreckage of a sudden, premature, or deeply painful loss. You are not broken—you’re grieving. And you are not alone.

Connect:

Instagram: @the_widowed_researcher

Website: The Young Widowhood Project