Dealing with Grief and Fears

According to Forbes Health contributor Jessica Booth, “Every year, millions of Americans struggle with symptoms of anxiety and anxiety disorders… [It is] the most common mental illness in the U.S.” Booth goes on to say that anxiety “can feel isolating…

As a life coach, I always find myself guiding others through the twists and turns of life. Yet, there are moments when even I am left struggling with the sheer randomness and cruelty that life can throw our way. Recently, the news of a friend’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis…

We live in a grief illiterate society. We don’t like talking about death, the most certain and inevitable life event; and the one that comes to the forefront of our minds when we talk about grief. But grief shows itself around any and all losses…

Like many women, I am a fixer, which also seems to go hand in hand with being a (reformed) control freak. If I even think there will be a difficulty with something or someone, my brain immediately goes into high gear coming up with numerous…

I recently poured out my heart to a colleague about my guilt at two condolence notes left unwritten. One note was intended for a colleague whose sister had died, though I’d heard about the death long after the funeral had taken place…

Loss is an inevitable part of the human experience, and as we age, the frequency of bidding farewell to loved ones increases. As a life coach who has walked the path of grief and loss, having spent years as a funeral director, I understand the complexities…

In my conversations with women who were widowed suddenly, I sometimes ask, “What do you wish you had known?” One of the most common answers is, “That the people who said they would be there for me would, in fact, not be there for me…

I like being old. At nearly 80, I think I am allowed to say so. Indeed, I like being old so much that I wrote a book about it. But that doesn’t mean that everything about being old is wonderful. Far from it. And one of the things I like least is the loss of friends…

About 12 years ago, I was smack dab in the middle of an emotional nightmare. My family was going through a difficult time. I was filled with anxiety. I had difficulty sleeping and I couldn’t eat. I could not calm my mind down or relax…

Everyone’s grief journey is their personal experience. There is no playbook you can buy or use to advise. Others’ tales help to verify our sanity. Others’ journeys help us grow our capacity for compassion for our compatriots in grief and for ourselves…