Pet . Therapy. Notes...
accidents & traumatic loss
While it's tempting and easy to slip into, don't let The Crisis hijack the way you remember the relationship.
Don't give it that power.
While the Crisis is a PART of your story, it is only a PART.
It's a PART of a much larger story, a much larger life.
There were so many moments before that painful end.
Remember those, too.
Resist the urge to skip chapters.
Read the entire book.
Traumatic endings can come on so strongly that they can distort how we remember the overall essence (“feel”) of our relationship. While possibly the most emotionally evocative, know that a single moment doesn’t define our relationship or represent the love we shared.
With that said, when a loss is raw, it may feel too painful to remember. It can be overwhelming to visit memories without falling apart. To avoid retraumatizing yourself, it is important to listen to and respect where you are right now.
But know, as inconceivable as it feels right now, in time, revisiting all the chapters may feel less emotionally charged. As we come to terms with the circumstances of loss, and integrate a sense of self-compassion and self-forgiveness, memory can make room to accommodate both joy and pain.
blog.
More resources to come... I can only write so quickly.
For now, also see
They're close relatives.
Visit the coping/everything grief page for all the grief things.