In what ways could the grief process being examined through the lens of attachment theory be particularly useful?

Question

Does the study of human attachment theory drives one’s understanding of how emotions work shed light on managing grief?

Answer 1

Thank you for this content!!! Wonderful discussion and incredible guest!

Answer 2

Lost my ex when I was 17... she accidentally overdosed on sleeping meds. She suffered from schizophrenia. I'm 32 now and honestly have tried for years to find someone similar, and ive always had bad relationships because it wasn't the same. Something was always missing until I went for someone totally different. To help my own sanity.  It still hurts and when I find people with her lovable quirky personality or looks I still somedays lose myself.  But I'm happy ive finally moved on a bit.

Answer 3

If I may extend her insights about grief in the context of bereavement to the context of heartbreaks, I feel there are quite some lessons that are antithetical to popular narratives. One, that deep attachment and longing for a partner is a primal instinct and it is not about lack of self-love or fulfilment. Two, that a rebound relationship is not all that bad. It is a subjective experience of dealing with grief. Three, that hangover of an ex-partner while enjoying the company of a new partner isn’t shameful but natural oscillation of mind.

Answer 4

Thank you! This has been my struggle and reading this is helping me reframe…❤

Answer 5

Was about to search and listen to your previous grief episode and this appears! Unfortunate good timing.

Answer 6

Please have a guest you talk with about mental health. Since it's the men mental health awareness month. I appreciate your time

Answer 7

I love your conversations, regarding grief. You’re helping me out.

Answer 8

My daughter died suddenly when I was 39 weeks pregnant with her. The grief is overwhelming and earth shattering and then 2 years later, I lost my beloved cat at 18 years old.
It left me with an inability to connect with anyone.

Answer 9

¡Hola Profe! I am not even going to pretend that I didn't cry throughout the conversation. Time doesn't heal. But every single moment of a miracle called life is a gift. And how and with whom we share this gift and what legacy we will leave is up to us. Thank you for all your hard work and care for all of us.

Answer 10

Lost my best friend suddenly almost 4 months ago. It was a complete shock to everyone, she was only 28. It felt like a crime to smile or laugh or to just simply be happy. It’s been a process but I’m learning how to have a relationship with her while she is not earth bound. We weren’t on the best of terms during her passing and I felt so guilty for not being there and allowing something so petty to get between us but I’m starting to forgive myself. I often joke that she didn’t have to pass away to make me get over it. Rest in peace G, I love you.

Answer 11

What a wonderful amount of information on all levels. Thank you!

Answer 12

My little sister died unexpectedly late August, one month later I suffered from foreign object sensation in my eye. 8 months later I am still dealing with eye issues and found out it's my meibomian glands. I went to eye dr yearly all eye health was always fine. We think the stress of her death drove my cortisol levels up so much it affected the oils in my meibomian glands. I'm in misery now and just trying to get off this mgd hamster wheel

Answer 13

Working at a hospital (Desert Springs Hospital in Vegas) as a lab tech. I walked into a patient's room and witnessed this woman in her late 60s take her last breath. Her nurse was notified and she simply draped her body with a white sheet. The patient was not surrounded by any loved ones; she was completely alone, and I stood there for a few moments and felt this overwhelming sadness for her. She looked peaceful; she wasn't attached to any ventilator or heart monitors. She was on a regular wing of the hospital. But it was hard to register that she died alone. I didn't want that for my mother, and we talked about it before she began to decline cognitively and began experiencing advanced mental health compromises. She wanted to remain in her home until the end. My father passed away alone in a nursing home. The nursing home called to notify of his passing. We would visit him, but he passed away alone. Those issues of guilt are tough because no one wants to fail the people we love.

Answer 14

I am really grateful!
After the previous episode on loss/grief understanding guided my journey (Dad passed Dec 24)
I remember thinking an episode with Mary Frances would be amazing … and here we are … at exactly the right time
Keep the good work going

Answer 15

"There will be no one like us when we are gone, but then there is no one like anyone else, ever. When people die, they cannot be replaced. They leave holes that cannot be filled, for it is the fate - the genetic and neural fate - of every human being to be a unique individual, to find his own path, to live his own life, to die his own death."
Oliver Sacks

Answer 16

Buried my mom's mom on a Monday, my husband passed away that Wednesday, then my dad's mom died that saturday.. I was 31 then.. 3.6 years later.. finding joy in every day, small things. Making muffins for the neighbors, sitting with my kids and just listening. I like the ball in the box concept... at first the ball fills the box... then as time and healing goes on, the ball gets smaller, but when it does hit the edges, that feeling is still there. Forever. Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, special moments and accomplishments with my children... my life perspective is forever changed..and it's very hard to take a lot to seriously anymore because you can plan... but Im a believer in fate. Put your best foot forward and do not apologize for the things you need as you grieve. So many opinions. But only you know.

Answer 17

I'm having the same kinds of feelings of grief that she described for my desire for marriage. It's something I've longed for all my life and it hasn't come to pass. I wanted to be a wife and a mother but it will not happen for me. My grief feels overwhelming.

Answer 18

this is wild… I've spend years trying to manifest my dream life but it never seemed to work for me, I always hoped for a sign that something would finally shift. I believed in manifestation but didn’t know how to make it actually work. Then someone in a podcast recommended Manifest and Receive by Eva Hartley and it just instantly clicked. The way she explains things, it’s like she’s speaking directly to your soul. That book is the reason I’m living my dream life today. If you’ve been waiting for a breakthrough, this is it❤️❤️

Answer 19

I just witnesses that deadly consequence of grief in a set of dogs that were together since being puppies. When the male died at 17.2, the healthier female quickly followed two months later.

Answer 20

Thank you for this Andrew!