ABJ Blog: “FRIENDS & FAMILY – Meet MAUREEN”

This is Maureen. She chose to heal after losing her brother to a tragic ac- cident when she was an adolescent. As you might imagine, Maureen went through a period of time that was extremely difficult and frightening.

My name is Barbara J Hopkinson of A Butterfly’s Journey To a New Normal. We help individuals and families struggling with grief to find a new normal after experiencing loss of a child, grandchild, sibling or other traumatic loss.

The fact that you are experiencing something that you never thought would happen is exactly why it is normal to feel like Maureen was feeling. This is why we suggest reaching out to friends and family to help you heal.

When you gather those you love around you for support, they could provide a safe haven for you to share your feelings They may know the loved one you lost and share your grief or at least understand it better than strangers.

We suggest being open with them about what kind of help you need, and which things you object to. Clear honest ground rules may avoid issues.

Some suggestions to get support from family & friends:

• Ask if they are comfortable talking with you about your grief and loss.
• Confirm confidentiality with them — for you both.
• Make sure they are willing to listen, not to judge, and not run away whenyou get angry or emotional. You may want to establish a signal for them to use then they are uncomfortable, so you can pause and work it out.Family and friends can be an amazing support system. They were for Maureen as she chose to heal.

  If you found this video to be helpful them share it and be sure to subscribe to our channel, newsletter or Resource Center. If you have any questions please comment below. Once again, I am Barbara J Hopkinson of A Butter- fly’s Journey To a New Normal. We help individuals and families struggling with grief after traumatic loss to find hope and a new normal.