We Who Grieve: Understanding Our Most Painful Emotion

by Richard A. Stack

Overview

Those in the throes of grief may find this work a comforting companion. It reassures the readers that they are not alone, and provides guidance to process bereavement and to reassure that life, though different, can be fulfilling again. The book is written to support those mourning for a vast range of reasons and relationships, and includes helpful information for those close to mourners who seek to be supportive. Chapters discuss the language surrounding grief, strategies for moving forward, methods of decompression and acceptance, and how other cultures view and mourn the death of their loved ones.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476692838
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	11/21/2023
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.51(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Richard A. Stack, associate professor emeritus, taught for three decades in the School of Communication at American University. He has published four books and is an award-winning documentary producer. He volunteers at Washington, D.C.’s leading grief counseling center.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface
Part I. Meeting Grief ­Head-On
 1. Taking the Shovel
 2. A History of Homeless Love
 3. When the Sad News Hits: Fight, Flight, or Freeze
 4. Vocabulary: The Language of Grief
 5. Discussing Grief
 6. Two Distinct Coping Styles
 7. The Power of Prayer
 8. Many Modes of Grief
 9. Grieving in Times of Quarantine
Part II. The ABCs of Moving Forward
10. Accept: Entering the Valley
11. Breathe
12. Continue Connection
13. Decompress
14. Empathize
Part III. Pivoting to Support Others
15. Heart Work
16. Lessons Learned from Professionals
17. Taking Care to Care for the Caregiver
18. A Final Thought on Final Thoughts: An Ethical Will Is a Legacy of Love
Part IV. How Various Cultures Comfort Their Mourners
19. Indigenous Australians: Humankind’s Original Instincts
20. Death and Mourning in Japan
21. Chinese Views of Death
22. Islamic Mourning Rituals
23. Hindu Mourning Rituals
Epilogue
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

The human encounter with death evokes complex and intense emotions for bereaved individuals and families. This is made all the more problematic within our society that denies death, and resists speaking openly about grief and loss. But in We Who Grieve: Understanding Our Most Painful Emotion, Richard A. Stack delineates an intricate understanding of the complexity of grief, presented in a profoundly clear and lucid manner. Part memoir, part psychological inquiry into the nuances of the grief journey, this book is a treasure house for anyone wrestling with death and grief. You will discover in this book a viable roadmap explicating that most basic human experience that we are all destined to encounter throughout our lives.”—Rabbi Simcha Raphael, Ph.D., founding director, Da’at Institute for Death Awareness, Advocacy and Training, author of Jewish Views of the Afterlife

From the Publisher