Episode 10 - Is There a Relationship Between Grief and Addiction

Is it possible to be addicted to grief?

How are grief and addiction similar... how do they differ? I find that even though each may be caused by some difficult experience that we face in life, at least I have the ability to overcome my addiction. I don't think the same can be said for grief.

Psychology Today's definition of addiction - https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/addiction

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email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com
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Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)

Episode 9 - My Grief and My Mom

How did my father's death affect my relationship with my mother?

My father was my entire world as a child. Wherever he went I wanted to go with him. It seems as if I was always by his side.

Once he died, my mother became the central figure in my life and would instill in me core values that I carry with me to this very day. she would sacrifice all that was important to here to make sure I would have everything that I needed, And she'd always make herself available to me no matter what the circumstance.

Ways to subscribe to Dealing With My Grief:

  • Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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Your are encouraged to leave feedback:

email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com
twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief
web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com

Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)

Episode 8 - 28 Minutes From Grief

Was I 28 minutes from grief... or my own death?

I have often wondered what would have happened if my mother and I had stayed at my parents store for an additional 15-20 minutes. Would we all be alive, or would we all have perished that night.

It is a question that consumed me for a long time. Eventually, I just had to let it go.

Ways to subscribe to Dealing With My Grief:

  • Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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If you have any questions or feedback, I'd like to hear from you:

email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com
twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief
web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com

Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)

Episode 7 - High School and Grief

Did grieving the loss of my father make high school more difficult than it had to be?

Even though I had an uncle and my grandfather who would become the male role modes in my life after my father passed, I did not ask them to accompany me to any of the father/son events at my high school. My reasoning was simple... they were not my father.

Grieving the loss of my father - some 4 years after he died, blinded me from reaching out to the two men that could have helped me the most during arguably the most trying four years of my life.

Your are encouraged to leave feedback:

    email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com

    twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief

    web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com

Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)

Episode 6 - I Do Not Have a Monopoly On Grief

Why do I attempt to compare the circumstances of someone's grief with mine?

When I was younger, if I heard people discuss the loss of a loved one I would always think that the somehow they got more time with them than I got with my father, or at least they had time to "prepare" for the loss of their loved one.

I now realize that every loss is significant and hurts regardless of when the person passes or the circumstances of their death.Everyone must learn how to cope with their own grief.


Let me know what you think of today's episode:

    email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com

    twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief

    web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com

Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)

Episode 5 - Dealing with Grief Triggers

Do grief triggers always have to make me sad?


I have several grief triggers:

Food - ham and cheese sandwiches
Times of the year - the month of April
Heirlooms - a thermos and sofa

All of these remind me in one way or another, but do the all still make me sad.

While I can avoid eating certain foods, I can't stop April from coming every year, but I can use some things that have been passed down to me to remind me of good times I had with my father. Those items make me feel like my father is still with me, and that gives me strength.

Let me know what you think of today's episode:

    email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com

    twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief

    web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com

Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)

Episode 4 - I Can Run But I Can't Hide

I've been trying to get out of the shadow of my father's legacy.

Once I graduated from high school, I decided to go to school out of state to get a fresh start... to be another face in the crowd.

After running out of money after my sophomore year, I decided to join the Army. I didn't want to go back home, because my mother had already sacrificed so much for me. I needed to make my own way. The army was perfect because I didn't have to go home a failure after not graduating from college.
     

    Please send me feedback:

    email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com

    twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief

    web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com

Episode 3 - It Could be Worse!

Is it possible that losing my father was not the worse thing that could have happened to me?

Growing up, I had friends whose parents weren't together. Many of them carried the burden of thinking that their parents weren't together because of something that they had done. In other words, it was their fault that their parents weren't together.

I had one friend who would wait for his father to come pick him up when it was his father's weekend for custody, and his father inevitably would be a no-show! He would often wonder what he did to cause his father not to want to be with him.

While grieving my father's death, I take some comfort in knowing that the reason he isn't present is not by choice, but the actions of the men who took his life. I don't have the emotional scars that my friends have.

In some ways I think that would be a lot worse emotionally.

This is one of the ways I cope with my grief.

Episode 1 - When Does the Grieving Process Begin?

Does the grieving process always begin the moment we lose someone in our life?

For me grieving didn't start until a week and a half after I lost my father. I truly believe this is because I couldn't really process what had happened due to my age at the time (I was 10).

Please send me your feedback:

email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com

twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief

web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com

 

Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)