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Bereavement, Grief and Loss

Coping With Grief

Challenging and complicated times in our life not only present us with medical or physical health crises, but also psychological and emotional ones. There are times when individuals are faced with the loss of their loved ones, their jobs, their feeling of social connection, and their sense of security. But even individuals who have not lost something as concrete as a job or a loved one can affected.
If you are navigating your way through your own grieving period, here are a few key things to keep in mind:
Educational workers, specifically, have the added burden of supporting students, parents, co-workers, they care for every day as we all struggle through the additional challenges we are daily facing in these complex times.
Cog

Grief is Normal

Grief and bereavement are natural processes that our minds and bodies undergo when we experience a significant loss in our life. It is evidence of the meaningful and loving connections we form with the people around us and the experiences that sense of connection. Not only do we grieve when someone passes, but we also grieve experiences we don’t may not get to have in these times, such as graduations, get-togethers, vacations, and non-essential medical procedures. It is possible that you may be grieving these and other losses in your life right now. Understanding grief can help you cope with the emotional responses you may experience on a daily basis.
Stop Watch

Timeline

Despite what people say about “getting over” feelings of loss and bereavement, grief has no timeline. The grieving process does not have a clear end date. Your grief journey may take longer than you or those around you expected, but it is important to remember not to rush the process. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to grieve. Even if you have experienced the same loss as another person, your journey through grief may not look the same as theirs, and that’s OK. The loss you have experienced will continue to be a part of your life over time. There will be times when you think about, miss, and grieve that loss; It is a natural part of life. Over time, grief begins to feel less raw and is replaced by memories that don’t hold the same painful emotions.
Communication

Social Connections and Support

As you navigate the grieving process, the social connections you have built and continue to build will become more important than ever. Having family, friends, and peers to share your feelings and thoughts with can provide you with a strong support system. Although the way in which we interact with others has significantly changed in recent times, social media and technology provide a great way to connect with family and friends.
Nature

Self-Care and What You Can Do

There is a range of things you can do to support yourself during challenging time. The resources we have provided below are a great place to start as you navigate your grief journey. As you move forward, do what you can to maintain your normal routines and continue to keep in touch with family members and friends. You may also find it helpful to join a grief group to connect with other individuals who have also experienced a loss or to seek professional counselling.

Cloud

Additional Support:

Palliative Manitoba’s Telephone Bereavement Support service is a non-profit, confidential resource that provides compassionate listening and support for individuals coping with grief. Trained volunteers provide one-on-one telephone support and can help connect you with the appropriate resources, support groups, and agencies.

If you are looking for bereavement support call: 204-889-8525 ext. 225 Mon – Friday 9 am to 5 pm or Email: info@palliativemanitoba.ca

Please note this is not a 24-hour crisis service, if you are in crisis please contact the Klinic Crisis Line at 204-786-8686.

Telephone

Province-wide crisis and non-crisis services in Manitoba

The province of Manitoba has a wide range of resources for those who may be experiencing crisis or seeking mental health support. Trained staff is available over the phone, online and in communities across the province to support the mental well-being and psychological safety of experiencing distress and mental health concerns. To learn more about these resources visit the province’s list of Mental Health Crisis and non-crisis contacts. If you are currently in crisis, call the Klinic Crisis line at 204-786-8686 or 1-888-322-3019
TTY 204-784-4097

Web Resources

For more information, we have compiled a list of resources to help you cope up with grief during these difficult days.

Global

That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief

An article from the Harvard Business Review.

E-Mental Health: Grief and Bereavement Resources

Created by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, this resource database includes links to grief and bereavement supports and information tailored for the general public, medical students, primary care givers and psychiatrists. We believe that wellness is a journey, not a destination—and every day, we can each take a step toward our own well-being.

The Compassionate Friends

Resource library, support meetings, drop-in, newsletter, workshop, and telephone friends for bereaved parents. 685 William Avenue, Winnipeg, MB. Phone: 204-787-4895

Printable Resources

Free Grief Seminars with Palliative Manitoba

Grief seminars schedules and locations. For more information contact info@palliativemanitoba.ca

Videos

Stories of the Heart

by BC Centre for Palliative Care

Stories Of The Heart Trailer

by BC Centre for Palliative Care

Podcasts

Where's the Grief? By Jordan Ferber

Comedian Jordan Ferber helps shine some light into the darkest parts of our own existence and encourage a more open discussion about the effects of grief and offers coping mechanisms to those suffering.
https://podcast.app/wheres-the-grief-p92503/

What's Your Grief by Eleanor Haley and Litsa Williams

Two mental health professionals seek to demystify the complicated experience of grief. Listeners will find their approach practical, relatable, informative and engaging as they tackle a range of topics related to grief.
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/whats-your-grief-podcast-grief-support-for-those-who/id946757971

Terrible, Thanks for Asking by Nora McInerney

Nora McInerny asks real people to share their complicated and honest feelings about how they really are. It’s sometimes sad, sometimes funny, and often both. 
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/terrible-thanks-for-asking/id1126119288

Griefcast

In this award-winning podcast, Lloyd makes space for natural, unhurried conversations for her guests to talk about death in an uninhibited way. Lloyd interviews media personalities who share stories of loved ones lost and acknowledging that the world continues when we often feel our most alone, but that we too, can keep going.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/griefcast/id1178572854

Books

Bittersweet: (2022)

By: Susan Cain
Shows how a bittersweet state of mind is the quiet force that helps us transcend our personal and collective pain, whether from a death or breakup, addiction or illness. Embracing the bittersweetness at the heart of life is the true path to creativity, connection, and transcendence.

It’s Ok That You’re Not Ok

by Megan Devine
Offers a profound new approach to both the experience of grief and the way we try to help others who have endured tragedy. This book invites us to build a life alongside grief rather than seeking to overcome it.

The Other Side of Sadness: What the New Science of Bereavement Tells Us About Life After Loss

by George A. Bonanno
Challenges the conventional model of the 'Five Stages of Grief'. Grief is not a linear, predictable process and people are more resilient and capable of living with deep loss than thought.

A Parent’s Guide to Raising Grieving Children

by Phyllis R. Silverman and Madelyn Kelly
Offers wise guidance on virtually every aspect of childhood loss, from living with someone who's dying to preparing the funeral; from explaining death to a two year old to managing the moods of a grieving teenager; from dealing with people who don't understand; to learning how and where to get help from friends, therapists, and bereavement groups; from developing a new sense of self; to continuing a relationship with the person who died.

The Invisible String

By: Patrice Karst
The perfect tool for coping with all kinds of separation anxiety, loss, and grief. In this relatable and reassuring contemporary classic, a mother tells her two children that they're all connected by an invisible string.

Straight Talk About Death for Teenagers: How to Cope with Losing Someone You Love

by Earl A. Grollman
With brief entries such as “Accidental Death,” “Self-Inflicted Death,” “Talking,” “Crying,” and “Going Nuts,” Grollman offers advice and answers the kinds of questions that teens are likely to ask themselves when grieving the death of someone close.

Healing Through the Dark Emotions: The Wisdom of Grief, Fear, and Despair

Miriam Greenspan (May 11, 2004)
This revolutionary book offers a more hopeful view: there is a redemptive power in our worst feelings. Avoidance and denial of the dark emotions that results in the escalating psychological disorders of our time: depression, anxiety, addiction, psychic numbing, and irrational violence.

The Grief Recovery Handbook 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition, The Action Program for Moving Beyond Death, Divorce, and Other Losses, Including Health, Career and Faith, How Grife Recovery Addresses Trauma & PTSD

By: John W. James and Russell Frieman (Founder of The Grief Recovery Institute)
Drawing from their own histories as well as from others', the authors illustrate how it is possible to recover from grief and regain energy and spontaneity. 


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