For further articles on these topics: Addressing Alcohol Use, Grief in Sobriety Though it may sound odd to some, a person's connection to a substance can parallel a real-life relationship in many ways. Relationships with drugs and alcohol can feel like a complex mix of good and bad, as the substance(s) begins to meet specific needs and comes to occupy different spaces in our lives. This being the case, one's experience with drugs or alcohol can feel intensely personal.  In this article, I'm going to share some of my experiences with grief and sobriety, as well as a few general ..read more

The What's Your Grief Podcast: grief support for those who like to listen. In this grief podcast, Eleanor Haley, MS and Litsa Williams, MA, LCSW-C, the mental health professionals behind the website and book 'What's Your Grief', leave no stone unturned in demystifying the complicated and messy world of living life after loss. One digestible topic at a time, Haley and Williams distill topics ranging from grief theory to coping. Grief is sad and confusing, but your grief support doesn't have to be. You can listen here by using the player above or listen and subscribe wherever you get your pod ..read more

The What's Your Grief Podcast: grief support for those who like to listen. In this grief podcast, Eleanor Haley, MS and Litsa Williams, MA, LCSW-C, the mental health professionals behind the website and book 'What's Your Grief', leave no stone unturned in demystifying the complicated and messy world of living life after loss. One digestible topic at a time, Haley and Williams distill topics ranging from grief theory to coping. Grief is sad and confusing, but your grief support doesn't have to be. You can listen here by using the player above or listen and subscribe wherever you get your pod ..read more

For further articles on these topics: Grief Theory It's been quite a while since we've broken down a new grief theory here on WYG. According to my research, the last theory we discussed in earnest was a deep dive into continuing bonds in 2018. So, we're excited to add a new installment to our grief theory library with this discussion of the Multidimensional Adaptive Grieving Dynamics model. Grieving is a universal human experience, yet its intricacies are as diverse as the grievers themselves. I suspect this paradox is what makes grief theory so tricky. Putting language and structure to the ..read more

For further articles on these topics: Loneliness, Isolation, Support Systems While strong ties, like our relationships with close friends and family, are a critical part of emotional support, recent research sheds light on why I'm probably not weird for looking to a barista for an emotional boost. Historically most people (and researchers) have underestimated the power of "weak ties" in our mental well-being. But my personal experience (and academic research, which you make take more seriously) shows us that leaning into these weak ties can be a simple and unexpected support in dark times. R ..read more

The What's Your Grief Podcast: grief support for those who like to listen. In this grief podcast, Eleanor Haley, MS and Litsa Williams, MA, LCSW-C, the mental health professionals behind the website and book 'What's Your Grief', leave no stone unturned in demystifying the complicated and messy world of living life after loss. One digestible topic at a time, Haley and Williams distill topics ranging from grief theory to coping. Grief is sad and confusing, but your grief support doesn't have to be. You can listen here by using the player above or listen and subscribe wherever you get your pod ..read more

For further articles on these topics: How to Help, Grief Support Tips, Support Professionals When we first started WYG in 2012, we leaned heavily into a category of grief support advice that we no longer endorse. To be more specific, we did that thing where we told people looking to support grieving people what "not to say" and, to a lesser extent, offered ideas about what to say. Whether grieving or supporting someone, you've likely encountered this kind of advice. It's probably the most common type of advice, which may mean our opinion is unpopular, but we have our reasons for ad ..read more

The What's Your Grief Podcast: grief support for those who like to listen. In this grief podcast, Eleanor Haley, MS and Litsa Williams, MA, LCSW-C, the mental health professionals behind the website and book 'What's Your Grief', leave no stone unturned in demystifying the complicated and messy world of living life after loss. One digestible topic at a time, Haley and Williams distill topics ranging from grief theory to coping. Grief is sad and confusing, but your grief support doesn't have to be. You can listen here by using the player above or listen and subscribe wherever you get your pod ..read more

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about a grief phenomenon that I know is felt by many but doesn't seem to get much airtime. It's something I experienced in three significant losses in my life, something I've heard described by countless grievers over my years as a grief therapist, and yet it doesn’t really have a name in grief research and literature. I’m speaking about the grief that comes at the intersection of a loss that is simultaneously anticipated but nevertheless still sudden and shocking. Perhaps just reading that last sentence offers insight into why that type of grief and loss remai ..read more

The winter solstice is upon us. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, it's the 24-hour period with the fewest hours of daylight all year. It's sometimes referred to as the 'longest night of the year', which is either the perfect metaphor for grief and/or the perfect title for an early-aught emo album. Though I am someone deeply impacted by the darkness of the winter [she wrote, flicking on her S.A.D. lamp], there is something I have long found comforting about the idea of leaning into the winter solstice. Something is reassuring about celebrating the day when the planet seems most aligned with deat ..read more