HB II DB Grief & Gift. Week 13

Do you agree or not, and why?

Student 1. E. Rodriguez.

Teri Pugh tells us to shift our perception of grief by recognizes the gifts that grief gives us. Teri shares that had been living with grief even before the passing of her husband. She states that during the time that her husband was ill, she began to shift her perception of grief and chose to in lean into the gift of grieving. There were five keys to discovering the gifts in her grief were: Willingness, Awareness, Self-Care, Communication, and Forgiveness/Release. She explains that willingness brought in awareness of her pain, which then shifted to self-care in verbalizing what she needed that then help form the boundaries that were necessary. Communication gave her clarity, and forgiveness and release allow her to let go of the pain and the resentment that had been guiding her ever since childhood.

I do agree that grief does not necessarily have to be the loss of a loved one, but overall loses that we have experience, that have affected our day to day life. My clients have suffered all sorts of losses. For some these losses were in childhood, others were a couple of years ago or currently. I have clients who underwent childhood trauma, migration, divorce/separation, and for some getting diagnosed with HIV/AIDs was major loss for them. Some did not have an opportunity to grieve those losses or did not know to or ways to cope with the pain. Feelings of resentment and anger plagued their lives for many years. They resorted to the “grimly sedatives” that were drugs, toxic relationships, and poor choices. These five gifts within grief will allow them an opportunity to reclaim their lives and allow this different perspective of grief to guide their way to freedom and recognize that there is also love and opportunity waiting for them after all the pain and suffering.

Student 2. M. Briceno.

Teri Pugh offers a new healthy frame work about grief, that is applicable in the work with clients.

Willingness, to accept the situation.

Awareness, of emotions, feelings and attitudes.

Self-Care, actions of well-being.

Authentic Communication, being able to communicate one's message freely.

Forgiveness, letting go of the pain.

Releasing, being free of negative emotions.

Teri Pugh mentions that people have unresolved grief. Some of the negative symptoms are: depression, denial, anxiety and anger (Worden, 2003). She also mentions that pain controls individuals which reminds me complicated grief; there is alcohol consumption, depression and the use of anti-depressants (Ott, 2003; Prigerson et ., 1999; Latham & Prigerson, 2004).

The concepts can be applied in the work with clients, it will be a conscious process for the client. This process would represent a stage of self -discovery: new interests, hobbies, goals and eliminating unhealthy habits. Also, social workers need to keep in mind when working with vulnerable populations about their losses: relocating to a new country, divorce, miscarriage, home, employment, fertility.

When an individual develops "complicated grief" (long term of anhedonia) the individual is at hight risk of developing physical illnesses cancer, heart problems, cancer and be suicidal (Chen, Bierhals, Prigerson et al.,1999). Which it all makes sense keeping our mental health is as important as keeping our physical health.