african american faith based bereavement initiative

African American Faith Based Bereavement

Initiative

Module 4

Lack of knowledge about the grief process—age old wisdom

Psalm 34:18The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;

.

Module 4

AAFBBI Curriculum ©2011 NCCC

Reflections on Personal Experiences with Grief

• What have been your own personal experiences with death, loss and grief? – Whom did you lose?– How old were you? – What were the circumstances?– Did your reaction differ based on whom you lost?– Did your reaction differ based on how old you

were and what stage of life?

Module 4



• Thinking about these reactions:– How long did you experience severe distress?– How long have you felt upset or depressed about the

loss?– How often do you think about the loss now and how

do you feel about it?

• What helped you cope with losses in your life?• When you hear about another person’s loss, does

it remind you of your losses? In what ways?

Module 4



• When you were grieving, what kinds of things that other people did made it easier or more bearable for you? What things were not helpful?

• Now think about how you react to others when they have had a loss. How does your experience affect what you say and do? Do you assume that their experience is the same as yours? Do you wish that they did not keep sharing their pain with you, because it reawakens your own pain?

Module 4


What is grief?

• Grief is the emotional response to one's loss.– Grief is a natural response to a felt loss; our way of

repairing emotional damage.– Grief is individual.– Grief consists of a variety of normal responses that

seem to fluctuate like an emotional roller coaster ride.– Grief is very often expressed differently by men and

women.– Emotional response is expressed differently for

various cultural & ethnic groups as well.

Module 4


What do we mean when we talk about the grief process?

• Models of tasks of that families have to face

• Ideas about the journey of feelings they experience

Module 4


Grief: The Major Stages/Tasks

Accepting the reality of the loss. Experiencing the pain of grief. Adjusting to an environment without the baby. Moving on, withdrawing emotional energy and reinvesting.William Worden (2001)

Source: Health Care Professionals’ Guide to Bereavement Support; NSIDSPSC

Module 4


A Journey of Feelings

John Bowlby’s Ebb and Flow Grief Model

Module 4


Shock and Numbness—The beginning

Failure to accept reality Time confusion Impaired functioning Disbelief Short attention span Lack of concentration Difficulty with decisions


Module 4


Searching and Yearning

Restlessness Impatience and irritabilityResentment and bitternessAnger and guiltSleep difficulties/nightmaresPreoccupation with deceasedLack of energy/fatigue Source: Health Care Professionals’ Guide to

Bereavement Support; NSIDSPSC

Module 4


Disorientation

Disorganized and forgetfulSadness and depressionSocial withdrawalFatigue and exhaustionPoor concentration InsomniaFeelings of failureFears of shaky grasp on reality


Module 4


Reorganization

Normalized eating/sleeping habits

Fuller spectrum of emotions

Increased self-esteemSparks of energyAble to make decisionsInterest in future


Module 4


Model: Phases Of Grief

Disorientation

Searching/yearning

Shock /Numbness

Acceptance

Module 4


Types of GuiltDeath causationRole guilt“If Only” GuiltMoral GuiltSurvival GuiltRecovery Guilt


Module 4


Children’s GriefAnxiety/fear, who will be next?Anger at parents, god, baby and in generalDeath causation/survival guiltRegression


Module 4


Review of the “quiz”

• Now let’s review the questions about grief that you answered at the beginning of this module and review the answers.

african american faith based bereavement initiative

Documents