I Am A Griever

Scott – The grieving process

Scott talks about how his song ‘The Good Man James” was about his father, their relationship and how it helped him process their relationship. Find the song at his website www.dotbmusic.ca

Lyss – Losing My Mother

Lyss discusses losing her mother and how her first thought was that her mother would never meet her kids Now being a mother herself brings back many memories of her.

Lyss – Seasonal Reminders

Lyss seasonal reminders and her mother dying at New Years

Nicole – Using Art and Creativity to Express Grief

Nicole discusses the work she does to allow access to creative outlets such as art hives and gardening.

Betsy – Anticipation

Betsy discusses the anticipation of her adopted son dying of cancer and now or her aging parents

Kate – Time to process

Kate shares about time and processing her grief especially during COVID

Learning from Grief

Grief is weird. Odd start, I know, but that was the sentence I used a lot whenever someone asked me how I was. It was never a constant feeling; it changed day to day. And still does. It’s the full gambit of emotions from sadness to anger to guilt and, though dark, even humour found its way in.

A Million Other Things: Grieving a Drug Poisoning Death

Sister, father, son, niece, best friend – some of these words might be how you would describe your loved one who has died of an overdose or drug poisoning. People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) are not defined by their substance use – they are a million other things to those who love and miss them dearly. Drug poisoning and overdose deaths are stigmatized in our society. The focus is on how the person died, not who they are. Society still holds onto old notions and beliefs about drugs which come with a value judgment about people who use drugs, which further contributes to stigma. Not everyone who uses drugs is an addict and not all drug use is inherently problematic. People who use drugs deserve dignity and respect when we are remembering and honouring those who have died by overdose or drug poisoning.

Scott – The importance of processing

Scott discusses having a nervous breakdown and realizing that he hadn’t fully processed the grief he had been through with the loss of his mother and father. He also discusses how music helped him moving forward

Adam – Things that are OK to do

Adam talks about things he does to cope with grief like singing and crying

Jim – Significant incidents

Jim discusses being involved in a significant incident and how it’s normal to feel overwhelmed and ruminate over it. You may even start to drink or use drugs to cope. But it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Many police officers have been through similar experiences. And there are resources available to help you get through this.One of the best things you can do is talk to a trusted friend or colleague. They can offer support and understanding. You can also seek professional help from a therapist or counselor. They can help you to process your experience and develop healthy coping mechanisms. It’s also important to remember that you can’t change the past. But you can learn from it. And you can move on. Don’t let one incident define you. You are a strong and capable person. And you will get through this.

John – Being helpful to someone in grief

John shares his thoughts on how to help someone in grief