Open to Hope Articles

Articles Home

Surviving the Murder of a Child

Posted on June 19, 2007 - by admin

Note:?Below is an email?dialogue that can be helpful to many.?Sharon’s comments are in regular type and Dr. Gloria’s response is in bolded italics.?? Hi Dr. Horsley, My name is Sharon and I live in St. Louis Mo.? I am a survivor of a daughter, murdered in March, 2000. Her name is/was Cara’.? ?First, I want you to know I am sorry for your loss.? Losing a child is devastating. I am in the process of doing a research paper on Bereavement – The Aftermath of Homicide.? However, I am researching the question on the grieving process – Is there a […]

The Lessons of Father’s Day

Posted on June 19, 2007 - by Norman Fried

Norman Fried – June 16th, 2007 In the weeks and months after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, many New York newspapers published intimate articles about men who lost their lives on that fateful day. In reading their obituaries, I was moved by a common theme that ran throughout: Many of the victims were fathers who left little children behind. It is now five and one half years since the tragedy that changed the lives of all Americans. Many of the mourners have re-married; many of the children have inherited new father-figures. But their connection to […]

You Are Invited to be a Participant in a TV Documentary

Posted on June 18, 2007 - by admin

What is it? We’re conducting a nation-wide search for real families of all sizes, ethnicities, economic and religious backgrounds that are willing to share their ‘secrets of success’ for a new documentary television series entitled: Real Families Real Answers In the show, your real family could be featured with the experts to illustrate what families across the country are doing to not only survive, but thrive in today?s fast paced and ever changing society.

Recovering From My Daughter’s Sudden and Tragic Death

Posted on June 18, 2007 - by Harriet Hodgson

Grieving is hard work. It is really hard for me because I am grieving for three loved ones at once — my daughter, who was killed in a car crash, my father-in-law, who succumbed to pneumonia, and my brother who died of cancer. All of these deaths were painful, but my daughter’s death was the worst of all. Relatives and friends rallied to help me. Their support lasted for weeks and then it began to fade. Psychotherapist Judy Tatelbaum writes about this response in “The Courage to Grieve.” People start to pull back, she explains, “as if the time for […]

Sunday is Father’s Day: How will you spend your day? Let us hear from you.

Posted on June 15, 2007 - by admin

Father’s Day is coming up this Sunday.? We know?for some dads this will be a difficult day.? We know for many there might be feelings of loss and sadness.? Dad’s are?people who like to fix things and losing a loved one cannot be fixed.? As with any holiday we would suggest that you plan your day.? You might want to plan a project like planting a?tree or writing a letter to your child on this special day.? Remember that if you have other children in the family they will be excited about honoring their dad so?take in the?love that they […]

When an Employee is Grieving the Death of a Child

Posted on June 15, 2007 - by Patrick T. Malone

The Situation $37,500,000,000 Businesses are accustomed to putting a price tag on lost productivity and increased insurance costs associated with conditions from diabetes to those from life problems including substance abuse and depression. For the first time there is data available on the impact of grief in the workplace and the annual cost of grief from the death of a loved one is more than $37.5 billion. The grief following the death of a child is intense, long-lasting and complex. It is perhaps the most devastating loss a parent may experience and poses unique challenges for you, the employer, who […]

What You Should Know About Differences in Mourning Styles

Posted on June 13, 2007 - by admin

Have you ever considered why some people show little outward expression of emotion when a loved one dies and others seem not to be able to control the outpouring of feelings? Or have you ever made the mistake of judging that someone is not as sad as you expected the person would be? These are important questions because the answers you decide on will heavily influence the way you relate to and help the bereaved. Judging the depth of pain and sadness in anyone who is grieving is a non-starter at best, but to believe that the outward expression of […]

Why You Should Write When Mourning

Posted on June 7, 2007 - by admin

Writing is a form of self-expression that can be a major factor in how you cope with the death of your loved one. This can be especially important as a supplement to having a small support system or if you live alone. It may also be a special skill you possess that can give you additional satisfaction when expressing yourself. On the other hand, anyone can write. You don’t have to be a good writer or speller to use writing as a potent tool to cope with the death of a loved one. Nor do you have to write a […]

Five Myths Of Grief That Lead To Unnecessary Suffering

Posted on June 6, 2007 - by admin

Grief is a natural response to the loss of something valued. Myths are falsehoods parading as gospel truths. Combined they lead to much excessive emotional and physical pain when mourning. If you mourn according to myth it means you have adopted false beliefs about grief and how to cope with the loss of a loved one. The solution is clear: obtain information to form beliefs that are true for you and discard old beliefs that were handed down to you when you were young. There are many myths about grief. Here are five of the most common and what you […]

Learn the Biggest Lesson Grief and Loss Offers

Posted on June 3, 2007 - by admin

The death of a loved one and the grief that follows teach many lessons. Perhaps the most important one is that pain is the sign to take a new road in life. This is a double barreled lesson. First, we often have to decide to do some things we have not thought of previously or ever attempted before. And secondly, of equal importance, the key to advancement into our new world (that is, our adaptation to the loss) is the necessity to take action. Accepting the new and taking action are crucial learnings; they are also difficult to embrace. New […]