By Laura Cenge
We have all gone through grief at a certain point in our lives, be it the loss of a loved one, divorce, or the sudden end of a relationship, among others. This will require us to go in for counseling or therapy as a way to recover from this situation.
The Grief Recovery Handbook by John W. James and Russell Friedman is one that will help you come out of grief one step at a time. The book also addresses trauma and PTSD, which is post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is a mental health condition that is triggered by a traumatic event that one has either experienced or been a witness to.
The book provides grievers with specific actions that they may need to take to move beyond loss. The authors of the book have worked with bereaved people for over thirty years.
At the start of the book, you are given instructions on how to use it since it is divided into four parts. The book has been updated to provide solutions to more cases of grief, like loss of faith, career issues, financial issues, lack of health, and growing up in an alcoholic or dysfunctional home.
This is a classic handbook that anyone should have in their library, for it also acts as a reflection on many of the things that we are dealing with openly or personally.
Part one of the book helps the griever identify or see the problem at hand; with this, you are also able to find out when it is time to begin to recover. It also provides guidance on how friends and family can assist you in dealing with loss, such as not knowing what to say or being afraid of our feelings, among other things.
The second part of the book prepares one for change. In this chapter, one is given the opportunity to set their guidelines, identifying short-term energy relievers and any others.
When you finally reach the third part of the book, you are introduced to finding the solution to your loss, and finally part four provides more choices and identifies other losses such as infant loss and infertility, dementia, death, or the absence of a parent(s) at an early stage.