Grief // Current TV

The End of Innocence

This is the story of four lives touched by the tragedy of clergy sexual abuse. The... more

flikchik
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2 years ago
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Suicide: an in-depth look

Sadly, few understand suicide. To help change this, the author has written this... more

transreporter
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2 years ago
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Mourning the Death of a Companion Animal

Years ago, I had an orange tabby cat named Dave who was more person than pet. Sometimes when my husband and I were visiting our neighbors in Houston, we would hear a knock at the door. “It’s probably Dave,” our friends would say, and sure enough, there he was on the step, waiting to be invited in with the rest of us.

When Dave died after being hit by a speeding car, I remember feeling a profound sense of loss and dreaded going to work the next day. “My cat died,” I told my editors, wiping my eyes with a tissue. Even as I explained, I knew I sounded silly to them.

I thought about Dave recently as I was reading an article on PsychCentral.com about the death of a pet. Leigh Pretnar Cousins writes about how she lost so much more than a pet when her 14-year-old silver cat, Luna, died.

I am stunned at how much I miss her and how empty the house feels without her soft round self asleep on the sofa. With her passing goes a chunk of my son Matt’s childhood. He was 10 years old when he selected her out of a box of kittens abandoned at the wildlife center….In Matt’s raising of and caring for Luna, I witnessed an enduring trait in my son: his extraordinary gift for nurturing.

Last year, researchers from the University of Hawaii’s animal science department conducted a study to determine the level of grief and stress that a pet owner experiences when a pet dies. Among 106 pet owners interviewed from a veterinary clinic, 52 percent had lost one or more pets from natural causes, while 37 percent had lost a pet to euthanasia. Although many pet owners experience significant grief when a pet dies, about 30 percent reported grief that lasted six months or longer. Severe grief that resulted in major life disruption was less common but was estimated as high as 12 percent of those studied.

It’s not only animal researchers who are taking note of the grief that occurs when a pet dies. The journal Perspectives in Psychiatric Care noted that the bond between people and their pets can affect both physical and mental health, and that the grief reaction that occurs after a pet’s death is “in many ways comparable to that of the loss of a family member.”

“Unfortunately, the loss of a pet is not recognized consistently by friends, acquaintances or colleagues as a significant or authentic occasion for bereavement,” the journal authors wrote.

When my cat died, the reaction was mixed. One person shrugged and said, “Well, I’m a dog person.” A well-meaning friend fumbled when he asked, “Are you over the cat thing yet?” The best response was from a man I worked with who adored his pet basset hounds. I received a sympathy card in the mail noting that a donation to the local animal shelter had been made “in Dave’s name.”

To learn more, read the full PsychCentral post, “When a Beloved Pet Passes Away.” The Humane Society of the United States also offers advice on coping with grief after a pet dies. And please join the discussion below. How did you cope with the grief of losing a pet?Years ago, I had an orange tabby cat named Dave who was more person than pet.... more

EthicalVegan
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2 years ago
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Graham Grief

Ben and Matt make Kubler-Ross proud.

machelli
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2 years ago
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To Build a Home: An Emotional Journey of Love and Heartbreaking Loss

“To Build a Home” is a beautifully haunting short film/music video... more

disembedded
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2 years ago
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We are living in a label-ridden world

Labels are very hurtful, especially when it comes to the trans-community. To expand... more

transreporter
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2 years ago
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Eco-funerals are increasing in popularity in New Jersey

In a world that is increasingly renewable, recyclable and energy-efficient, many... more

bundlebear
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2 years ago
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Last Minutes with Oden: On Experiencing Grief and Loss

“Last Minutes with Oden” is an attractively engaging, but also extremely... more

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2 years ago
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Kelli Laine Lewis. Zero Justice

Kelli was killed at the age of 18 by two underage drunk drivers and three morons that... more

kelli_DOA
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2 years ago
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Experiencing Grief, Joy and Community in Live Music

I share this review with you because it was one of my favorite reviews I’ve read... more

livefixblog
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2 years ago
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Author Joy Ibsen at Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, IA; To play piano of comedian Victor Borge

Author Joy Ibsen of Trout Creek, MI will sign her latest book "Unafraid" and... more

Yoopernewsman
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2 years ago
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10 Ways to Deal with Grief and Loss During the Holidays

Imagine if your loved one was missing or a victim of murder....how would you cope with... more

natureyogini
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3 years ago
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Devoted widower finishes 15-year labour of love on 'jigsaw' of shredded love letters

A widower has pieced together thousands of fragments of romantic notes that he sent to... more

goldenways
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3 years ago
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Somber wall posters in Sichuan province

This photo by Chad Ingraham grabbed me when I saw it. It instantly reminded me of the... more

skdub
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4 years ago
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My Mum, Her Mum, and Penny the Dog

In this film I speak to my Mum about how getting a dog helped in the healing process... more

StrangeConversation
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4 years ago
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4 comments

My nephew was shot and killed this morning.

If you live in Coulmbia MD and have any information what so ever, please contact local... more

lowercase
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4 years ago
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5 comments

DRUNK DRIVING MADE ME FOREVER 18

every 15 minutes someone is involved in an alcohol related crash. i would like my... more

kelli_DOA
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4 years ago
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3 comments

Joan Didion: Life Changes in the Instant

Joan Didion, received The 2005 National Book Award for The Year of Magical Thinking,... more

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4 years ago
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1 comment

Anti-Suicide Music Video

A music video about the effects of teen suicide on the friends and family left behind.... more

Dewandeler
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4 years ago
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