Crisis Support

Mortality Stalks Me Mortality stalks me. I can feel it sitting just outside my conscious mind, waiting to spring forward and pounce on me. I’ve seen it happen to others, and it’s not pleasant to watch, so I can only…
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Human beings are vulnerable to temptation, the worst of which is falling prey to abuse. It could be abusing others or self abuse. Abuse and self-esteem belong in a single category. Each follows the other in the sense that poor…
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People who have served in the military often request to have their funeral include the full military honors that they are entitled to.  Family members are often left with more questions than answers on what needs to be done in…
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If you were to ask me if I am for suicide, I would give you a resounding NO as an answer. In many cases, I feel suicide is selfish, cowardly, even cruel. Suicide is often used as a means of…
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It’s easy to give advice to someone who is suffering loss, though sincere, heartfelt advice can only come from those who have experienced loss and know the full story of recovery. It’s different for every person on earth, though the…
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There are many forms of abuse and these can cause a person self esteem to be very low. When a person is abuse this can cause them to become mentally depress and have many other mental illnesses. I wonder what…
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Grief comes in many forms. It can come from the loss of a friend or family member or even from the loss of a job. Grief is not limited to just death. If your friend is undergoing medical procedures or…
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Grief is an emotional process that we cannot escape. Death is an inevitable part of life, and one day we will all have to go through the experience when we lose someone we love. The best way to manage grief…
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Remembering the things (both the good and the bad) that you’ve shared with someone you’ve lost  will help get you through the toughest times, without having to keep your candy dishes filled with anti-depressants or lots of extra chocolate candy…..
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My mother is a nurse and has been for over 35 years. During her long career taking care of other people, she has witnessed families in their most vulnerable and heartbreaking moments. She has also witnessed patients who are suffering…
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Nobody ever goes into pregnancy thinking they will hear the words, “I’m sorry.  Your baby is dead.”   Like car accidents and other life traumas, everybody thinks it will happen to someone else.   Yet it does happen and far too often…
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When I looked out at the congregation the Sunday after my wife had died, I immediately knew the faces of those who had walked this path before me. I knew they knew and I drew strength just knowing others had…
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Talking to their parents about end-of-life issues can be very difficult. This is because most people do not want to deal with their own mortality. Being respectful of their emotions is extremely important so that the parent does not feel…
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How to Plan A Memorial Service: Having just recently held a memorial service for my husband, I feel it is important to pass along all the information that might be needed to others. It is also important to realize that,…
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Suicide is always a choice, and the reasons for choosing to do so are not always easily understood by most people. This then denies us the right to call someone a coward for taking his own life. We do not…
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In the midst of unmistakable grief, life has a thoroughly intolerant way of continuing on. While you are in the grief process, it is wise to take a step back from major life decisions. Home-Whether due to death, divorce, or…
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The world has ended. Nothing matters anymore. Emptiness and despair enveloping an entire life. Losing a loved one, either to death or separation, is the most sorrowful event any person will ever face. Love is like an addiction, to love…
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There is no flawless formula for this special transition. Death has so many different ways of presenting itself. My grandfather died in 1967; I was a young child. I was aware of the permanence of death at that tender age…
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A parent who loses a child needs your support. This kind of loss is one of the most powerful losses a human being can endure. Everything that a parent works toward is supposed to lead to their child living a…
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It may sound trite, but the words from a prayer, “In the midst of life, we are in death” are so true. They mean that each and everyone of us will be called upon to deal with death as part…
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When a person is grieving, he or she is not in the frame of mind that is suitable for making certain decisions.  Those who do try to make good choices during this time will often end up making the wrong…
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Evelyn Marie Marone Karlsson, celebrated 93 years of life that few of us can understand. To have lived through the depression and World War II, the cold war, The Kennedy era, The scandals of the 70’s the boom of the…
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 A girl dies with a note on her night stand and it’s labeled a suicide. Questions are swirling around like a tornado on why she would do something like that. It wasn’t like her she wasn’t upset…or at least didn’t seem to be. While those questions…
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It is important to observe proper funeral etiquette when attending services.  Being able to behave appropriately depends on having an understanding of what behavior is considered acceptable and what behavior is considered unacceptable.  Proper funeral etiquette covers a range of…
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A friend is going through a crisis. You’ve been close for years, so you are capable of detecting changes and observing that things just don’t add up. Nothing’s been said to you, but you can see signs. Do you say…
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How to help a grieving spouse?  The loss of a loved one can put a dent in anyone’s armor.  If spouses have been together for many years, the loss is more devastating.  Their whole life revolved around each other. After…
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We all have lost someone who we have loved at some point in our lives. Death does not discriminate. No matter how much money you have or how happy you are in your life, we all go through the same…
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No death is “easy” to deal with or accept.  Those closest to the deceased feel an overwhelming curtain of grief wash over them that can leave them feeling lost, fearful and alone among many other emotions.  If the deceased died…
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Self harm is a very common occurrence; it is also greatly misunderstood by both society and the medical profession. There is a misconception that those who self harm are teenage girls, in their bedrooms or Goths listening to the wrong…
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This article is written from the experience of grief and regret. When someone loses a family member or loved one, the world becomes a very strange place. It’s almost as if the very roots of their existence are pulled from…
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