Grief Science

Sieht man ein weißes Licht, wenn man stirbt? Kann mein Körper noch sprechen, wenn ich tot bin? Kann ich zusammen mit meinem Hamster bestattet werden? Kinder fragen klar, offen und ehrlich nach dem Tod. Und genauso muss man ihnen auch antworten. Das ist zumindest die Überzeugung von Caitlin Doughty. Die berühmteste Bestatterin der Welt beantwortet ganz ungeschminkt Fragen von Kindern, die Erwachsene nicht zu stellen wagen. In lustigem, aber immer respektvollem Ton gewährt die Bestatterin so nicht nur Kindern einen Blick hinter den schwarzen Vorhang aus Tabus rund um den Tod.

Mourning: The Day After Loss offers practical advice and insight into the process of coping with grief and bereavement based on extensive experience and research. It leads the listener on a journey through the various stages of bereavement - from the death notification to the formal days of mourning, the burial, and the weeks and months following.

Vanessa's husband, Paul, dies suddenly and tragically on their regular Sunday morning swim. How will she cope with her dilapidated house, her teenage children, the patients who depend on her? Will therapy help? Why do mysterious white feathers start appearing in unexpected places? Beautifully written and honestly relayed, Vanessa uses her professional skills to explore the many questions posed by unanticipated death and to try to find a way forwards.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, an occasion that is sure to be observed around the world. But among the memorials, political speeches, and news editorials, the most pressing consideration - and often the most overlooked - is the lives and well-being of the 9/11 first responders, their families, and the victims' families over the past decade. Dennis Smith, a former firefighter and the author of the bestselling Report from Ground Zero, addresses this important topic in a series of interviews....

By beginning a conversation that encourages self-examination and compassion, Combined Destinies invites listeners to look at how white Americans have been hurt by the very ideology that their ancestors created. Editors Ann Todd Jealous and Caroline T. Haskell, both experienced psychotherapists skilled at facilitating dialogue about racial issues, are cognizant of the challenges that even the thought of such conversations often presents. Their book is based on the premise that for positive and lasting change to occur, hearts as well as minds must be opened.

When a brother or sister dies, surviving siblings often receive little support or recognition of their pain. But their grief is real, and there is a way to recover from it. Through intimate, true stories and interviews with brothers and sisters who have lost a sibling, expert on grief Katherine Fair Donnelly provides valuable insight on how to survive this traumatic experience.

When a loved one passes unexpectedly, the person left behind can lose their bearings. After the sudden loss of her mother, Chelsea Hanson, a nationally recognized grief educator and founder of With Sympathy Gifts and Keepsakes, didn't know where to turn for help, what to do next, or how to put the pieces of her life back together. Hanson's The Sudden Loss Survival Guide gathers everything that she learned during her own recovery process and provides an indispensable road map to aid those who've experienced a life-changing loss.

A collection of Matt Shaw's heartbreaking dramas. Matt Shaw does not just write horror. In fact, when asked what his favorite books are, he often names the tales collected within this set. Stories of heartbreak, loss, and grief - all with an element of hope...a hope we often forget when dealing with grief.

When it comes to the end of a relationship, the loss of a loved one, or even a national tragedy, we are often told we need "closure." But while some people do find closure for their pain and grief, many more feel that closure does not exist and believe the notion only encourages false hopes. Sociologist Nancy Berns explores these ideas and their ramifications in her timely book, Closure.

Charles Shilling is about to begin his day with a funeral… and it will only get worse from there. What seems like a harmless little investigation turns dark fast, and Shilling is in no state to hold back the tide of cruelty coming his way. Worse, with the rate he’s falling for Florin, he’s never been so vulnerable to revenge…

Too often, the public abortion debate depicts the experience of ending a pregnancy in falsely simplistic terms. Anti-abortion activists falsely contend that abortion is always emotionally damaging for the pregnant person, while pro-choice activists focus on honoring bodily autonomy and personal conscience. In particular, the pro-choice movement fails to acknowledge that some people experience abortion as a kind of loss. A Complicated Choice addresses the fact that abortion stigma is ubiquitous, even among those who identify as pro-choice.

Have you ever felt as if you couldn't go on? That you were nearly lost under the weight of your own burdens? Were you told - or did you decide - that the only way out was to soldier on, to blindly grind out the days until you felt like you could breathe again, if not as well as before? What if there was another way?That's the option that Jerry is presented with by his best friend, Robert, along with an incredible tale of the man who came to Robert in his own time of need; the man who calls himself Mister Grief; the man who has a tale of his own to tell.

In the summer of 2000, David Hlavsa and his wife Lisa Holtby embarked on a pilgrimage. After trying for three years to conceive a child and suffering through the monthly cycle of hope and disappointment, they decided to walk the Camino de Santiago, a joint enterprise - and an act of faith - they hoped would strengthen their marriage and prepare them for parenthood.

These three ‘Consolations', written by Seneca to his mother and two friends, have been described as ‘the crowning achievement in the canon of ‘consolation letters'. But sentimental they are not, for they emerge from the writer's deep-seated commitment to Stoicism, where individuals are exhorted to inhabit qualities of virtue, positivity, resilience, and indifference. This recording opens with Seneca's consolatory letter to Marcia, who, after three years, was still mourning the death of her son.

After experiencing two rare heart attacks at the age of 33—and a third a decade later—Michele DeMarco knows trauma intimately. Trauma breaks your relationship with time by upending your expectations, fracturing your memories and identity, and destroying your innocence. With poignant wisdom and refreshing insight, DeMarco explodes traditional myths of resilience and shows what it takes to thrive through any of life's challenges.

After a near fatal stroke in 1995, Robert McCrum has gained an intimate understanding of his own mortality. Twenty-two years on, his friends have joined him in experiencing Prospero's 'every third thought' of death as a dominating theme of life. McCrum asks: can we make peace with what Freud calls 'the necessity of dying'? Searching for answers leads him to brain surgeons, psychologists, cancer patients and writers for advice and wisdom.

The sea has always called to Sofia, even when she and her mom lived in a big city nowhere near its shore. That's how Sofia always knew she was a mermaid--that, and the fact that the sea and its creatures are much easier to understand than people. Like her mother, who is sending Sofia away instead of her barracuda of a boyfriend; that's a flying fish if Sofia's ever seen one, spending so much time reaching for the sky she can't see what's going on below the surface. When Sofia meets her abuela, she knows she's up against a sea dragon.

A difficult subject, but one that touches many. The loss of a pregnancy or infant is heart breaking and confusing. Knowing that you're not alone can help a bit. Have you or someone you know experienced an infant or pregnancy loss? You are not alone. Always Within: Grieving the Loss of Your Infant is like having a caring and compassionate support group at your fingertips. It's a compilation of stories from people who have had to endure such a loss.

To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die. In recent years non-religious funerals have become more common, but without an established canon of texts to fall back on, it can be difficult to plan an appropriate service for a loved one who had no religious belief or connections. Texts recommended by secular humanists, especially modern texts, can sometimes sound trite or overly informal.

The Ultimate Pre-Planning Handbook by Icarus Carpaccio is an empowering, compassionate guide for those wishing to secure their legacy and relieve their family of emotional and financial burdens. With step-by-step instructions and heartfelt guidance, this handbook simplifies the complex process of planning your funeral, offering comfort and clarity at every stage.