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The death of your child is devastating. No parent feels that he or she should outlive his or her child. However, the sad fact is that, every minute around the world, some 15 children die. The psychological and emotional impact following sudden and traumatic death can inhibit parents' grief and, without appropriate treatment, develop into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
When Your Child Dies provides grief-stricken parents with the tools to navigate the grieving process and addresses the challenges of dealing with the media, the justice system, the medical system and coroners. Besides providing a comprehensive list of resources and reading for ongoing support, there is practical advice for grieving parents on how to:
Identify and address issues that linger and cause emotional pain
Reduce anxiety and depression and promote healthy self-soothing
Incorporate your loss into your lives in healthy ways
Talk with surviving children about death and grief
Handle the impact on extended family systems and social relationships
Foster a continued loving relationship with your dead child's memory
Authors Nagel and Clark have both experienced the traumatic loss of a child and speak with compassion and empathy directly to the reader, parent-to-parent, as well as providing insightful psychological guidance and support. When Your Child Dies is a comprehensive handbook for grief-stricken parents, grief counseling organizations, resource centers and library grief collections.
Introduction xi
Chapter 1 When Trauma and Grief Combine 1
Chapter 2 A Dictionary of Emotions for the Grieving Parent 15
Chapter 3 Exploring the Cause of Your Child's Death 37
Chapter 4 Taking Your Child Off Life Support 65
Chapter 5 Seeing Your Child's Body 73
Chapter 6 Handling End-of-Life Rituals 85
Chapter 7 Dealing with the Criminal Justice System and the Media 99
Chapter 8 Surviving with Your Partner 117
Chapter 9 Healing the Family System 135
Chapter 10 Managing Social Relationships 157
Chapter 11 Experiencing Identity Loss and a Shattered Worldview 171
Chapter 12 Facing Spiritual Emergencies 181
Chapter 13 Tools for Healing 195
Chapter 14 Creating Personal Rituals and Memorials 215
Conclusion: The Path Ahead 221
Appendix: Support Groups, Organizations and Web Sites 229
Bibliography 235
Acknowledgements 243
Index 245
Overview
The death of your child is devastating. No parent feels that he or she should outlive his or her child. However, the sad fact is that, every minute around the world, some 15 children die. The psychological and emotional impact following sudden and traumatic death can inhibit parents' grief and, without appropriate treatment, develop into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
When Your Child Dies provides grief-stricken parents with the tools to navigate the grieving process and...