Coping with Loss

Coping with loss can be a very difficult journey. ADEC has compiled these resources for individuals who are looking for help or who wish to offer support to another who is coping with a loss.

Bereavement Rituals
Cancer and Death
Children and Grief
End-of-Life Issues
Grandparents' Grief
Grief
Hospice – What is it?
Losing a Child at Any Age
Media and Death
Pet Loss
Sibling Loss
Suicide
Traumatic Loss: Violence, Terrorism, War and Natural Disasters

Looking for a specialist in death and dying, or grief and bereavement? Use the Find a Specialist directory.

ADEC Movie Club: Periodically, when a movie's central theme relates to grief, death or loss, we'll ask ADEC members to offer their review or impressions of how well the film presents the grief experience. Our first entry is the film The Rabbit Hole (2010).

Bereavement Rituals Incorporating Extraordinary Experiences in Death Rituals  Second-Lining at Death in New Orleans Incorporating Loss into Our Holiday Rituals A Pre-Death Ritual for Mable Links: AARP — Ways to Cope Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement

Cancer and Death Surviving Losses from Cancer Links: National Cancer Institute Loss, Grief and Bereavement Site  Anerican Cancer Society Coping with Grief and Loss

Children and Grief Joining Together as a Global Community of Grieving Children Music Therapy wtih Adolescents Experiencing Loss  Links: The Dougy Center  Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation Helping Grandchildren Deal with Grief Barr-Harris Children's Grief Center

End-of-Life Issues  ADEC defines end-of-life decision-making as the aspects of life-threatening illness/terminal illness that involve choices and decisions about actions to be taken for individuals, families and professional caregivers.* These decisions may be related to medical, ethical, legal, social and family issues and may be influenced by culture and socialization, religion and spirituality, historical and contemporary perspectives, lifespan and larger systems issues. *This definition is taken directly from the Handbook of Thanatology Introduction to Part 2, which is dedicated to EOL decision-making and edited for public consumption. Death with Dignity: The Oregon Experience The Art of Dying: A Mind-Body Transformation When to Refer to Hospice Links: Compassion and Choices Five Wishes Watch Ira Byock, MD, (31st annual conference keynote presenter) speak about normalizing the end-of-life experience.

Grandparents' Grief Grandparents’ Grief — Who Is Listening? Links: The Duality of Grieving The Grief of Grandparents

Grief Surviving Losses from Cancer Links: Grief's Journey AARP Grief and Loss Resources AARP's Guide for the Newly Widowed Watch Howard Winokuer, PhD, discuss Communicating Caring

Hospice — What is it? Perinatal Hospice: A Holistic Approach for When Death Comes at the Beginning of Life When to Refer to Hospice The Art of Dying: A Mind-Body Transformation Links: Caring Connections Hospice Foundation of America National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

Losing a Child at Any Age Pregnancy, Children and Infants Perinatal Hospice: A Holistic Approach for When Death Comes at the Beginning of Life Perinatal Bereavement: A Lifelong Process Links: Bereaved Parents of the USA (BP/USA) Compassionate Friends MISS Foundation RTS Bereavement Services SHARE — Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support, Inc. Losing Adult Children Links: AARP — Ways Parents Can Cope

Media and Death Cinema and Its Depiction of Cultural Aspects of Death and Dying The Healing Power of Music in Bereavement Media Portrayals of Death and Dying

Pet Loss From the Backyard to the Pet Bed: The Changing Role of Animals in Society Coping with Animal Companion Loss Across the Age Continuum Links: Animal Chaplains Argus Institute Rainbows Bridge Grief Support Center Tufts University Pet Loss Support Hotline Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine Pet Loss Support Program Bright Stars Forever Pet WebRing

Sibling Loss Losing a Sibling in Adulthood Sibling Grief Throughout the Childhood Mode of Death and Effects on Sibling Grief   Watch Dr. Kay Fowler discuss her personal story of adult sibling loss.

Suicide Suicide: Prevention and Postvention Links: American Association of Suicidology (AAS)  SAVE: Suicide Awareness Voices of Education Coping with Loss American Foundation for Suicide Prevention National Suicide Prevention Hotline — 800-273-TALK (8255) Suicide Prevention Resource Center

Traumatic Loss: Violence, Terrorism, War and Natural Disasters Getting Beyond Terrorism: Life in a War Zone and its Impact on Our Family Grief, Trauma and Combat Firefighter Remembrance Links: International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies National Center for PTSD fact sheet on community violence  National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) Parents of Murdered Children (POMC)

The articles above have been drawn from The Forum, ADEC's member publication, because of their relevancy and appropriateness for the nonprofessional (all articles are in PDF format). These articles may not be reprinted without the express written consent of ADEC. Contact adec@adec.org to request reprints.

Other resources include links to websites presented by other organizations that may be useful. (Note about links.) YouTube videos appear courtesy of the Open to Hope Foundation. See more videos at their YouTube channel.

**Note: The Association for Death Education and Counseling® is not responsible for the availability or content of the sites it links to, nor does the ADEC endorse, warrant or guarantee the products, services or information described or offered at these other Internet sites. Users cannot assume that the external sites will abide by reasonable privacy practices.

Updated: September 21, 2010