As weird as it sounds, I have always been personally and professionally interested in grief. I think it is because somewhere along the way I realized that grief, like love, is universal. The saying goes—if you love you will grieve. And I have found this to be true. People that know me say I “love big” so it makes sense that I would “grieve big” too.
When is the last time you asked yourself that question. In our society, we are so often oriented towards the grade given from others, the approval or disapproval given from others, and the desire to curb loneliness. We seek reprieve from our own self critique. The cliché of being ones own harshest critic is a cliché for a reason.
“Ambiguous loss happens when you are grieving someone who is still living. It’s different than the grief you experience when someone you love dies. That kind of loss is finite and certain and there’s no question you should feel pain. Ambiguous loss happens when something or someone profoundly changes or disappears” (www.whatsyourgrief.com ). Some examples of ambiguous loss include: divorce, incarceration, prisoners or hostages of war, substance abuse/addiction and those struggling with mental illness.
