Surviving Sibling Loss: The Invisible Thread that Connects Us Through Life and Death

Surviving Sibling Loss: The Invisible Thread that Connects Us Through Life and Death
Author: Dawn DiRaimondo, Psy.D.
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Total Pages: 116
Release: 2020-11-15
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 1977228836

In a world that doesn’t understand or want to talk much about grief, losing a sibling changes someone forever. Grieving siblings often feel very alone, as much of the focus and support is geared toward their parents. With limited vocabulary to express grief, people can be left with the feeling that a piece of them has died too.

In 2004, clinical psychologist, Dawn DiRaimondo, suddenly lost her 22-year-old brother, Michael, who was serving as a flight medic in Iraq when his helicopter was shot down. This life-altering event compelled Dr. DiRaimondo to build a practice specializing in helping her clients through the most difficult of losses: children, young parents, siblings, and spouses. Surviving Sibling Loss interweaves both her story of losing her own brother with clinical insights into the impact of significant grief and loss in one’s life. This book will help surviving siblings feel validated and understood, as well as provide a number of ways to both cope, and honor their sibling. Surviving Sibling Loss is powerful, raw and heartfelt. It’s a must-have resource for anyone who has lost a sibling and for the people in their life—partners, friends, parents, even clinicians—who want to better support them.

Surviving the Death of a Sibling

Surviving the Death of a Sibling
Author: T.J. Wray
Publisher: Harmony
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2003-05-27
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 0609809806

When T.J. Wray lost her 43-year-old brother, her grief was deep and enduring and, she soon discovered, not fully acknowledged. Despite the longevity of adult sibling relationships, surviving siblings are often made to feel as if their grief is somehow unwarranted. After all, when an adult sibling dies, he or she often leaves behind parents, a spouse, and even children—all of whom suffer a more socially recognized type of loss. Based on the author's own experiences, as well as those of many others, Surviving the Death of a Sibling helps adults who have lost a brother or sister to realize that they are not alone in their struggle. Just as important, it teaches them to understand the unique stages of their grieving process, offering practical and prescriptive advice for dealing with each stage. In Surviving the Death of a Sibling, T.J. Wray discusses: • Searching for and finding meaning in your sibling's passing • Using a grief journal to record your emotions • Choosing a grief partner to help you through tough times • Dealing with insensitive remarks made by others Warm and personal, and a rich source of useful insights and coping strategies, Surviving the Death of a Sibling is a unique addition to the literature of bereavement.

The Empty Room

The Empty Room
Author: Elizabeth DeVita-Raeburn
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 229
Release: 2004
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 9780743201513

The younger sister of a boy who died in his teens of a rare autoimmune disease describes the loving bond they shared and draws on interviews with more than two hundred sibling survivors to consider the complex emotional impact of losing a brother or sister. 35,000 first printing.

Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven?

Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven?
Author: Michelle Linn-Gust
Publisher:
Total Pages: 120
Release: 2020-09-04
Genre:
ISBN: 9780983777687

When the first edition of Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? Surviving the Suicide Loss of a Sibling was published in 2001, it was the first comprehensive resource for sibling suicide survivors. In this updated edition, Michelle Linn-Gust (Rusk) doesn't change the story she told nineteen years ago, but gives the reader perspective on the changes that have occurred on how suicide and suicide loss are viewed. She also discusses how her life has changed. And stayed the same. Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? Surviving the Suicide Loss of a Sibling is the first comprehensive resource for sibling suicide survivors. Michelle Linn-Gust takes the reader through the personal experience of losing her younger sister Denise Linn and weaves in the available research for sibling survivors. Michelle also journeys sibling loss through the life span. No matter how old you are, youll find valuable help in Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven?Michelle explains suicide, the grief process, and how sibling death impacts the brothers and sisters left behind. She adds practical advice for how sibling suicide survivors can help themselves.This book is also helpful for those who want to reach out to sibling survivors including parents, teacher, counselors, and friends. Reading Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? assists them in understanding the grief process that the sibling survivor travels.

When a Brother Or Sister Dies

When a Brother Or Sister Dies
Author: Claire Berman
Publisher: Praeger
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2009-02-17
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 0313355282

The trauma of losing a sibling when we are in our adult years is one of the most unrecognized and undertreated areas of psychology. There is no other loss in adult life that appears to be so neglected as the death of a brother or sister, says bereavement specialist and psychologist, Therese Rando. And Rando is just one expert author Berman interviews in this moving book about loss. We see here how, when an adult dies, the parents, spouse, and children of that person become the focus, but brothers and sisters most often fall to the sidelines and are left to find a way to deal with the grief and recover alone. Yet, when a brother or sister dies, we lose our longest lifetime companion, someone with whom we have shared an intimate family history. And, in most cases, that was someone for whom we had conflicted feelings: shared identity yet competitive feelings, pride yet jealousy, love yet hate. Most of us come to make peace with the relationship at some point. How to make peace with the death of the sibling - which can conjure up a well of feelings, from wishing you were closer to wanting to change some past events you shared - can haunt an adult. But author Claire Berman, who lost her own sister to heart disease in the week of September 11, 2001, when America lost its innocence, takes us into the emotional world of sibling loss, showing us how to understand and navigate the aftermath of a loss that can leave adults feeling angry, confused, guilty, empty, or just like Berman, wanting to hit that speed dial button still marked with her sister's name.

Recovering from the Loss of a Sibling

Recovering from the Loss of a Sibling
Author: Katherine Fair Donnelly
Publisher: iUniverse
Total Pages: 266
Release: 2000-07-24
Genre: Bereavement
ISBN: 0595010423

A book of hope and healing, Recovering From the Loss of a Sibling is the first book for those who have experienced the death of a brother or sister. It addresses the many questions, fears and feelings of surviving siblings of all ages, such as: Will this soon happen to me? It should have been me. Why wasn't it? God must have punished me for the time when I was so mean to my brother. My sister was my parents' favorite and I don't seem to count to them. At work, they have no idea what I'm going through. They think I'm just a sibling. All the focus is on my parents, not my grief. When a brother or sister dies, surviving siblings may receive little support or even recognition of their pain. Parents are so grief-stricken at the loss of a child that they often find themselves unable to cope with the needs of their surviving children. With family and friends concentrating on the parents?tragedy, the suffering of siblings often goes unnoticed. These intimate, true stories provide valuable insight, demonstrating that the reader is not alone and that others have gone through this devastating experience and have survived. In these pages, sisters and brothers share their innermost feelings, wanting others to gain comfort from their experiences. The book also serves as a compassionate aid to friends, co-workers, teachers, family members, and the helping professions.

The Empty Room

The Empty Room
Author: Elizabeth DeVita-Raeburn
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 244
Release: 2007-03-13
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 0743201523

The younger sister of a boy who died in his teens of a rare autoimmune disease describes the loving bond they shared and draws on interviews with more than two hundred sibling survivors to consider the complex emotional impact of losing a brother or sister. Reprint. 20,000 first printing.

The Forgotten Mourners

The Forgotten Mourners
Author: Magdaline Desousa
Publisher: Magdaline DeSousa
Total Pages: 141
Release: 2011-12-21
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 1432783688

Laceys Sister, 3/29/13 Davids Sister, 10/26/12 Bella, 8/21/12 A sibling loss to suicide is even more unique because the sibling(s) left behind are often forgotten mourning the loss of their brother or sister alone in the shadows of their parents grief. This book discusses some of the challenges sibling survivors of suicide will face, both individually and as a family unit, including: -- What can I expect during the grieving process as a sibling survivor of suicide? -- How can I set boundaries to take care of myself? -- Will my relationship with my parents change? -- How do I answer questions about my now-departed sibling? -- What can I do to get through the holidays and anniversaries? -- How do I keep my brother or sister alive in my life, without him or her physically present? These questions and more are answered directly from the authors experiences following the loss of her eighteen year-old brother to suicide in November 2001. Hopefully, her experiences will give sibling survivors of suicide a bit of strength, hope, and peace in navigating the long road to healing ahead.

Healing the Adult Child's Grieving Heart

Healing the Adult Child's Grieving Heart
Author: Alan D. Wolfelt
Publisher: Companion Press
Total Pages: 122
Release: 2002-09-01
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 1617220612

Offering heartfelt and simple advice, this book provides realistic suggestions and relief for an adult child whose parent has died. Practical advice is presented in a one-topic-per-page format that does not overwhelm with psychological language, but provides small, immediate ways to understand and reconcile grief. Some of the action-oriented tips include writing down memories, completing a task or goal left unfinished by your deceased parent, or honoring the parent’s birthday. In addition the common challenges that face grieving adult children, such as helping the surviving parent, resolving sibling conflicts, and legal and financial issues, are addressed clearly and concisely.

Sibling Grief

Sibling Grief
Author: P. Gill White
Publisher: iUniverse Star
Total Pages: 124
Release: 2008-05
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 9781605280110

"P. Gill White, PhD, has done an outstanding job of writing on a much-needed subject within the bereavement community. As siblings sadly are often the "forgotten" grievers when the death of their brother or sister occurs, a book such as this is greatly needed. Dr. White's insights and experiences as both a bereaved sibling herself and as a sibling grief counselor are sure to be a great help to all who read her book."-Patricia L. Moser, president of Bereaved Parents of the USA "A book for professional caregivers and grieving siblings alike."-Robert B. Simmonds, Ph.D., author of Emotional Wellness Matters P. Gill White, PhD, was only fifteen when her sister Linda made her swear not to tell anyone about the pain she had in her side, fearing it would spoil an upcoming family vacation. Linda died four months later from a rare form of cancer. White and her family never talked about the loss until decades later, when memories began to haunt her. Sibling Grief is White's validation of the emotional significance of sibling loss. She draws on both clinical experience and her own deeply personal experience, along with wisdom from hundreds of bereaved siblings, to explain the five healing tasks unique to sibling grief. White also describes the dream patterns of bereaved siblings, showing how healing is reflected in the dream state. Throughout, she illustrates the long-lasting connection between siblings-a connection that death itself cannot sever.