Liberating Losses: When Death Brings Relief

When someone close to us dies, the world-our relatives, acquaintances, and society at large-expects us to grieve. Of course, as taboo as it is to admit or talk about, not every death brings with it overwhelming or exclusive sadness. Labeled a "nontraditional grief response" by therapists and counselors, a measure of relief or even happiness is far more common than the clinical description would have us believe. Sometimes we are relieved that our loved one is no longer suffering; at the other end of the spectrum, a death might finally free us of an abusive or unhappy relationship. In either case, feeling any measure of relief breeds guilt and, in turn, continued silence. Jennifer Elison and Chris McGonigle have experienced the discomfort and shame of mixed relief firsthand. In this groundbreaking book, they share their own and others' stories, compassionate clinical analysis, and pragmatic counsel with other disenfranchised survivors. Shedding light on feelings that many deem insensitive, callous, or even strange, and suggesting ways to come to terms with them, Elison and McGonigle generously validate the reaction so many feel obliged to hide, ultimately relieving the corresponding guilt with which so many are burdened.For more information, please visit the authors' website: www.liberatinglosses.com

Author: Jennifer Elison, Chris McGonigle
Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
Published: 04/14/2004
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 9.36h x 6.20w x 0.66d
ISBN: 9780738209487

About the Author
Jennifer Elison, Ed.D., has been a grief and transition counselor in private practice since 1990. She lives in Montana.

Chris McGonigle, Ph.D., is the author of Surviving Your Spouse's Chronic Illness and has been a Widowed Persons Service volunteer for many years. She lives in Montana.