Note from the Editor:

We’ve been interested in sharing some expert articles about mental health and wellness. However, we needed the right person, with the right experience.

Today, I am very excited to introduce Joy!

I’ll hand you over to her for the first article, which covers something that has, unfortunately, touched many of our lives: grief.

GRIEF — How to Survive and Thrive
by Joy Straw
​

My name is Joy Straw, and I’ve been a counsellor and (now retired) psychologist working with couples and individuals, as well as children in crisis, for over 30 years. I am a widow with two children and three grandchildren and have recently moved to a retirement village and am loving life again.

Just as there are many forms of grief, so there are different ways to grieve and different time frames in which to do this.

Grief happens to everyone at some time in their life—it is how we personally deal with this grief and come to terms with the reality and permanency of this new situation.

You may have lost a special piece of jewellery, or having to move from a loved home, or all the way to losing a loved one. We all experience grief differently, and all the feelings associated with grief are part of a process that Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross described as the Five Stages of the Grief Cycle.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque in diam id erat facilisis consectetur vitae vel urna.

Ut lacus libero, suscipit auctor ipsum sit amet, viverra pretium nisl. Nullam facilisis nec odio nec dapibus. Integer maximus risus et velit porttitor ullamcorper

Read more for FREE!

Become a member today and join over 200,000 Australians already taking advantage of daily news, weather, petrol costs, games, jokes, deals and more.

• 

  FREE 400-page Discount eBook upon joining

• 

  FREE Aussie-made eBook & many more

• 

  Multiple daily discounts for members

• 

  No payment required

Register Faster Using

• Continue with Facebook
• Continue with Google
• Continue with Apple

Or Register with email

Join the club

Already a member?

Log In

[Kathie]

Note from the Editor:

We’ve been interested in sharing some expert articles about mental health and wellness. However, we needed the right person, with the right experience.

Today, I am very excited to introduce Joy!

I’ll hand you over to her for the first article, which covers something that has, unfortunately, touched many of our lives: grief.

GRIEF — How to Survive and Thrive
by Joy Straw
​

My name is Joy Straw, and I’ve been a counsellor and psychologist working with couples and individuals, as well as children in crisis, for over 30 years. I am a widower with two children and three grandchildren and have recently moved to a retirement village and am loving life again.

Just as there are many forms of grief, so there are different ways to grieve and different time frames in which to do this.

Grief happens to everyone at some time in their life—it is how we personally deal with this grief and come to terms with the reality and permanency of this new situation.

You may have lost a special piece of jewellery, or having to move from a loved home, or all the way to losing a loved one. We all experience grief differently, and all the feelings associated with grief are part of a process that Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross described as the Five Stages of the Grief Cycle.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque in diam id erat facilisis consectetur vitae vel urna.

Ut lacus libero, suscipit auctor ipsum sit amet, viverra pretium nisl. Nullam facilisis nec odio nec dapibus. Integer maximus risus et velit porttitor ullamcorper

Read more for FREE!

Become a member today and join over 200,000 Australians already taking advantage of daily news, weather, petrol costs, games, jokes, deals and more.

• 

  FREE 400-page Discount eBook upon joining

• 

  FREE Aussie-made eBook & many more

• 

  Multiple daily discounts for members

• 

  No payment required

Register Faster Using

• Continue with Facebook
• Continue with Google
• Continue with Apple

Or Register with email

Join the club

Already a member?

Log In

[darrellh]

A very informative article thanks

 

[Jo Piper3]

Thank you Joy.

 

[oldchook58]

Thank you for your article Joy.

 

[Jarred Santos]

Thank you Joy for your informative article.
I lost my son last year to cancer after a 13 month fight - he passed away on his 41st birthday. I’m not sure how losing a child fits into the stages you wrote about.
Having lost my dad several years earlier I can relate to everything you wrote about, but since my son passed, I know that I am not depressed but have this incredible sadness which I cannot express because I still don’t believe that he is gone.
Certainly feel the anger when I think that it should have been me not him - parents shouldn’t have to bury their child.
I look at my grandchildren and his beautiful wife and know how they are suffering and further compounds my sadness.
As well, my ex husband had a cardiac arrest 19 days before our son died - he kept saying that he couldn’t bare the thought of losing his son - sometimes I feel jealous that he didn’t have to stay and watch him die.
I keep thinking that I held him on the day he was born and I held him on the day that he died, and I know that that feeling of resounding sadness will not pass anytime soon.

Our deepest sympathies, @Kathie. Sending you extra warm and tight hugs

 

[Vinylted]

I'm a bit confused (easily done) but Joy is a widower??? seems odd.

 

[Brody]

Thank you so much Joy, I to have a sad
Story to tell, but at least I have People around me that can be there for me when times get tough. I hope everyone has Someone that they draw comfort from.
Again thank you so much.

 

[April Bradford]

Thank you Joy for your informative article.
I lost my son last year to cancer after a 13 month fight - he passed away on his 41st birthday. I’m not sure how losing a child fits into the stages you wrote about.
Having lost my dad several years earlier I can relate to everything you wrote about, but since my son passed, I know that I am not depressed but have this incredible sadness which I cannot express because I still don’t believe that he is gone.
Certainly feel the anger when I think that it should have been me not him - parents shouldn’t have to bury their child.
I look at my grandchildren and his beautiful wife and know how they are suffering and further compounds my sadness.
As well, my ex husband had a cardiac arrest 19 days before our son died - he kept saying that he couldn’t bare the thought of losing his son - sometimes I feel jealous that he didn’t have to stay and watch him die.
I keep thinking that I held him on the day he was born and I held him on the day that he died, and I know that that feeling of resounding sadness will not pass anytime soon.

@Kathie, I am so sorry to hear of your loss.

Joy has written a reply back to you which I've included below:

'I’m so sorry for the unimaginable loss of your son and what you’re going through. It may or not may not help to know that the descriptions of your pain, even down to the “denial” and “ sadness” are actually a part of the grieving process however, the grief you’re experiencing is unique to yourself, and you are right it may not ever disappear, but only allow it to be bearable to live with.'

'One thing that touched me particularly was your grandchildren and how much it hurts you to see their grief and that they lost their father. This could be an opportunity that you can do to help them with their grief and yours, talking about him, telling them the things that you loved about him and reminding them of the loving person that you knew and was important in their life.'

'My best wishes for your family's future, and if the grief becomes more than bearable, then seek professional support. Your GP or a referral to a counsellor can help.'

 

[Joy Straw]

I'm a bit confused (easily done) but Joy is a widower??? seems odd.

Widow/widower changing terminologies e.g. actor/actress is now usually actor

 

[Kathie]

@Kathie, I am so sorry to hear of your loss.

Joy has written a reply back to you which I've included below:

'I’m so sorry for the unimaginable loss of your son and what you’re going through. It may or not may not help to know that the descriptions of your pain, even down to the “denial” and “ sadness” are actually a part of the grieving process however, the grief you’re experiencing is unique to yourself, and you are right it may not ever disappear, but only allow it to be bearable to live with.'

'One thing that touched me particularly was your grandchildren and how much it hurts you to see their grief and that they lost their father. This could be an opportunity that you can do to help them with their grief and yours, talking about him, telling them the things that you loved about him and reminding them of the loving person that you knew and was important in their life.'

'My best wishes for your family's future, and if the grief becomes more than bearable, then seek professional support. Your GP or a referral to a counsellor can help.'

Thank you again Joy - I always talk about my son with his children, we reminisce about him all the time - makes us feel like he is around us when we are together.
I am lucky to have a very caring doctor who I can talk with, he also treated my son and they became friends. He knows exactly how I feel and he has given me his number in case I need someone to talk too.
I know that life goes on but my sadness has not diminished but maybe in time it will.

 

[rainbow4]

Note from the Editor:

We’ve been interested in sharing some expert articles about mental health and wellness. However, we needed the right person, with the right experience.

Today, I am very excited to introduce Joy!

I’ll hand you over to her for the first article, which covers something that has, unfortunately, touched many of our lives: grief.

GRIEF — How to Survive and Thrive
by Joy Straw
​

My name is Joy Straw, and I’ve been a counsellor and (now retired) psychologist working with couples and individuals, as well as children in crisis, for over 30 years. I am a widower with two children and three grandchildren and have recently moved to a retirement village and am loving life again.

Just as there are many forms of grief, so there are different ways to grieve and different time frames in which to do this.

Grief happens to everyone at some time in their life—it is how we personally deal with this grief and come to terms with the reality and permanency of this new situation.

You may have lost a special piece of jewellery, or having to move from a loved home, or all the way to losing a loved one. We all experience grief differently, and all the feelings associated with grief are part of a process that Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross described as the Five Stages of the Grief Cycle.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque in diam id erat facilisis consectetur vitae vel urna.

Ut lacus libero, suscipit auctor ipsum sit amet, viverra pretium nisl. Nullam facilisis nec odio nec dapibus. Integer maximus risus et velit porttitor ullamcorper

Read more for FREE!

Become a member today and join over 200,000 Australians already taking advantage of daily news, weather, petrol costs, games, jokes, deals and more.

• 

  FREE 400-page Discount eBook upon joining

• 

  FREE Aussie-made eBook & many more

• 

  Multiple daily discounts for members

• 

  No payment required

Register Faster Using

• Continue with Facebook
• Continue with Google
• Continue with Apple

Or Register with email

Join the club

Already a member?

Log In

[Jo Piper3]

Thank you for this article Joy. My first born daughter died just over a week ago and we had her funeral yesterday, so a timely read. She was only 50 and parents never expect a child to pass before them. She died due to complications from a weight loss operation she had seven years ago, such a sad, unnecessary loss. At least no more pain and suffering. RIP Pennyxx

Thank you for sharing this very personal event. May your daughter rest in peace and may you receive the strength and comfort that you need.

 

[Joy Straw]

Thank you for this article Joy. My first born daughter died just over a week ago and we had her funeral yesterday, so a timely read. She was only 50 and parents never expect a child to pass before them. She died due to complications from a weight loss operation she had seven years ago, such a sad, unnecessary loss. At least no more pain and suffering. RIP Pennyxx

I’m so sorry that your beautiful daughter has died and left you grieving her. Please be gentle with yourself and take all the time you need to grieve and heal.I hope that at sometime in the future you will be able to find comfort in the treasured memories you shared. Thinking of you Joy

 

[Maicar]

Found a little Quote.
Don't have the source sorry. But found it a lifesaver to our family's loses over the last few years with the death of 2 young ones, 21 motor bike accident and 29 sudden medical episode death.
"Grief never ends, but it changes.
It's a passage not a place to stay.
Grief is not a sign of weakness,
Nor a lack of faith...
It is the price of LOVE."

 

[Ideas]

Note from the Editor:

We’ve been interested in sharing some expert articles about mental health and wellness. However, we needed the right person, with the right experience.

Today, I am very excited to introduce Joy!

I’ll hand you over to her for the first article, which covers something that has, unfortunately, touched many of our lives: grief.

GRIEF — How to Survive and Thrive
by Joy Straw
​

My name is Joy Straw, and I’ve been a counsellor and (now retired) psychologist working with couples and individuals, as well as children in crisis, for over 30 years. I am a widower with two children and three grandchildren and have recently moved to a retirement village and am loving life again.

Just as there are many forms of grief, so there are different ways to grieve and different time frames in which to do this.

Grief happens to everyone at some time in their life—it is how we personally deal with this grief and come to terms with the reality and permanency of this new situation.

You may have lost a special piece of jewellery, or having to move from a loved home, or all the way to losing a loved one. We all experience grief differently, and all the feelings associated with grief are part of a process that Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross described as the Five Stages of the Grief Cycle.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque in diam id erat facilisis consectetur vitae vel urna.

Ut lacus libero, suscipit auctor ipsum sit amet, viverra pretium nisl. Nullam facilisis nec odio nec dapibus. Integer maximus risus et velit porttitor ullamcorper

Read more for FREE!

Become a member today and join over 200,000 Australians already taking advantage of daily news, weather, petrol costs, games, jokes, deals and more.

• 

  FREE 400-page Discount eBook upon joining

• 

  FREE Aussie-made eBook & many more

• 

  Multiple daily discounts for members

• 

  No payment required

Register Faster Using

• Continue with Facebook
• Continue with Google
• Continue with Apple

Or Register with email

Join the club

Already a member?

Log In

[Ideas]

No thanks. You lost me at your second sentence when you described yourself as a widower, because as a supposed female named Joy, you would be a widow. Simple mistake, but I'd rather be advised by another human, thanks, instead of AI churning out mechanical advice.

 

[Ideas]

No thanks. You lost me at your second sentence when you described yourself as a widower, because as a supposed female named Joy, you would be a widow. Simple mistake, but I'd rather be advised by another human, thanks, instead of AI churning out mechanical advice.

 

[Joy Straw]

I’m sorry “Ideas” for the widow/widower thing but I am real not AI. A typo should not change the message and I’m relieved not to be a robot

 

[MariaG]

Thank you Joy for your informative article.
I lost my son last year to cancer after a 13 month fight - he passed away on his 41st birthday. I’m not sure how losing a child fits into the stages you wrote about.
Having lost my dad several years earlier I can relate to everything you wrote about, but since my son passed, I know that I am not depressed but have this incredible sadness which I cannot express because I still don’t believe that he is gone.
Certainly feel the anger when I think that it should have been me not him - parents shouldn’t have to bury their child.
I look at my grandchildren and his beautiful wife and know how they are suffering and further compounds my sadness.
As well, my ex husband had a cardiac arrest 19 days before our son died - he kept saying that he couldn’t bare the thought of losing his son - sometimes I feel jealous that he didn’t have to stay and watch him die.
I keep thinking that I held him on the day he was born and I held him on the day that he died, and I know that that feeling of resounding sadness will not pass anytime soon.

Aww Kathie.
When you spoke it brought things back for me.
I havent lost a child, but was with my mum beside my baby brother when she spoke your sad words...a parent should not have to bury a child. He was 42, and went through a lot before he succumbed to cancer.
Less than 12 months later, my older sister left us, again with cancer. It was a very difficult time for us all.
I look back at that time and have wondered how we got through it. Still grieving for one, then wham, that terrible disease takes another.
I know now, that it was the memory of two amazing people that kept me going. It's been 11 years and 12 years, but I still have them alive in my heart. I miss them in my life, but the love will never die.
Now, I am dealing with my mum's passing a year ago. I miss her so much but do gain some comfort knowing my 3 beloved are in each other's arms forever more.
Kathie, I fell your loss and send my heart to you.
Look at those little grand kids and hold onto the same soft feeling you had with your baby boy.
His spirit lives within them.