The Anxiety of Grief How to Understand, Soothe, and Express Your Fears after a Loss

It’ s normal to experience anxiety in grief. While it’ s not pleasant to feel anxious, it’ s natural because loss shakes our sense of security in the present and often raises worries about the future. Anxiety is a form of fear. Of course we feel afraid when someone important to us dies. How will we survive without them? What will our lives be like? What if something happens to others we care about? What’ s more, the pain of grief compounds anxiety. When we’ re hurting, we naturally feel anxious. We want the pain to stop. But the pain of grief typically takes many months and even years to begin to diminish. This book by one of the world’ s most beloved grief counselors will help you understand your anxiety and fears after a significant loss. They are normal, and they serve a purpose. But learning to soothe your fears is also essential. You don’ t need to live in continuous anxiety, and you shouldn’ t because it’ s bad for your health. You’ ll learn ways to comfort and distract yourself whenever you need to. Finally, you’ ll discover that expressing your fears is key to taming them.

Alan Wolfelt has been recognized as one of North America’ s leading death educators and grief counselors. His books have sold more than a million copies worldwide and have been translated into many languages. He founded the Center for Loss in 1984 to offer education and support both to grievers and bereavement caregivers. He is known around the world for his compassionate messages of hope and healing as well as his companioning philosophy of grief care. Dr. Wolfelt speaks on grief-related topics, offers trainings for caregivers, and has written many bestselling books on grief.