On a recent episode of Influencers Radio with Jack Mize, Grief Specialist and Founder of The Grief & Trauma Healing Network Anne-Marie Lockmyer discussed the kinds of losses that cause grief, why grief can make people so uncomfortable, and how to best support others when they are experiencing what feels like an unbearable loss.
According to Lockmyer, grieving isn’t limited to the death of a loved-one. Grief and loss can be experienced over things like the loss of a job, a divorce, a wayward child, and even the impact to our lives from the current COVID pandemic.
During the interview, Lockmyer explained that while loss and grief are something everyone experiences, it’s still one of the most misunderstood and least talked about subjects, saying, “In society, we are taught how to acquire things, but we’re not taught what to do when we lose them. And it’s kind of crazy, because we’re suffering loss all the time. And loss creates grief. The Grief Recovery Institute would tell you that grief is the normal and natural reaction to any kind of substantial loss. But I really like this definition, too, especially when you think of the times we’re living in right now, with COVID, because it’s also the normal and natural emotional reaction to the change or end of any familiar pattern of behavior. And how many familiar patterns of behaviors have changed for us overnight, recently, right in this past year? So when these changes happen, these hurts happen, and these disappointments happen, we experience loss. And with these losses, the emotions that are created are grief. So we have lots of people who are grieving that don’t even realize that they’re grieving, They just know that they’re not feeling good or they may be sad or depressed. But they don’t recognize that it’s grief, and that it’s actually a very normal and appropriate reaction to circumstances”.
Even though grief is the natural and healthy response to any substantial loss, the pain can sometimes be overwhelming, preventing someone from moving forward and living life.
As a widow herself, Lockmyer knows the pain and devastation that grief and the losses of life cause and is living proof that one can go from surviving to thriving. Today, she uses her story, training, and experience to bring grief support and freedom to the brokenhearted, helping people around the world embark on a journey of healing.
With her program, Living After Loss, Anne-Marie Lockmyer offers hope and healing for grieving hearts. She is passionate about advocating for and loving the grieving and being an educational catalyst to society on grief and loss. Her authentic and heartfelt approach creates a deep connection with her clients and audiences.
Anne-Marie Lockmyer is an advanced certified grief support and recovery specialist, certified in critical incident stress debriefing, a certified trauma-integrative practitioner, and the award-winning author of the best-selling book, “When Their World Stops: The Essential Guide to Truly Helping Anyone in Grief.”
Listen to the full episode at https://influencersradio.com/anne-marie-lockmyer
To learn more about Anne-Marie Lockmyer and The Grief & Trauma Healing Network, visit https://www.griefandtraumahealing.com