Blog Profiles: Grief Support Blogs

Welcome to Blog Profiles! Each week, we select a topic and handful of blogs that do a great job contributing to the conversation. Many are coping with loss due to the pandemic, so this week is dedicated to grief support blogs. Do you have a blog that deserves recognition? Tweet our writers at @BeyondBylines.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to change society, so too does it change the taboo around death. We’re in a collective experience of grief and coping with loss, yet everyone’s situation is unique. The pandemic poses an especially unique set of social distancing challenges for those who want to visit a patient in the hospital or are grieving the loss of a loved one. Hospital visitors aren’t permitted and funerals are being held virtually instead of in person.

Adapting to change and grief at the same time is tough, but there are online grief support groups and blog resources that can help you stay connected while you’re living with grief amidst a pandemic.

These four blogs can be your guide to knowing what to expect when it comes to coping with loss and grief.

1. Grief Healing Blog

This reputable blog provides professional insight into the latest news on grief with a focus on the needs of professional and family caregivers. Grief Healing Blog’s professional insight is given by author and grief counselor Marty Tousley RN, MS, FT, DCC. She regularly features her responses to readers’ questions about grief in her blog posts.

Best of all, there are healing and discussion groups on the website that are moderated by Tousley herself. As it states on the website, “Every post is reviewed and read by site owner, administrator and sole moderator, Marty Tousley.”

Posts to help you prepare for the unexpected: Pet Loss: When Social Support Is Lacking; In Grief: Can This Relationship Survive?; and Voices of Experience: Noticing The Signs.

Follow @GriefHealing on Twitter.

Grief: A guide to grieving during the COVID-19 pandemic – Vital Record https://t.co/531fCcUhTq #COVID #hpm #grief

— Marty Tousley (@GriefHealing) May 21, 2020

2. Still Standing Magazine

Still Standing Magazine breaks the silence on child loss by connecting people around the world who share similar experiences. The blog covers distinctive categories on grief, such as the loss of an adult child, a father’s grief, infertility, teen pregnancy loss, and LGBTQIA+ loss.

With a vast archive of shared stories from survivors of child loss around the world, there’s a good amount of helpful information on how to deal with the aftermath of child loss and infertility.

Read these shared stories: “I Just Can’t Imagine.” Let Me Help You.; What If My Miracle – Is Simply Surviving?; and Careful Pain: Tattooing As Grief Work.

Follow @StlStanding_Mag on Twitter.

Credit: @stillstandingmag on Instagram

3. Mindfulness & Grief Training Institute

The Mindfulness & Grief Training Institute is a blog/podcast featuring author and mindfulness speaker Heather Stang, MA, C-IAYT. Most of her blog posts feature podcast interviews with grief professionals from around the world.

Meditation is a key technique that Stang praises as beneficial to stay calm, reduce stress, and cope with grief. Inspired by her own journey through trauma and a diagnosis of a stress-related illness, Stang devotes her life in service to others.

I recommend listening to these podcasts: Dreams & Your Emotional Wellbeing During The COVID-19 Pandemic With Dr. Joshua Black; PauseFirst Project: Mindfulness For First Responders with Kim Colegrove; and Reducing Dementia Caregiver Stress: Focus on Mindful Meditation.

Follow @HeatherStangMA on Twitter.

Credit: @mindfulgriefquotes on Instagram

4. Let’s Talk About Loss

This blog isn’t about breaking taboos, it’s about talking through them. Let’s Talk About Loss was formed by Beth, a 25-year-old mom who understands what it’s like to lose their parent at a young age.

The blog is a safe community of people who support one another through the grief process with no expectations or judgement. Talking about something taboo isn’t easy, but members of this blogging community understand that it’s necessary to destigmatize loss and death.

Posts I recommend reading: Grieving during COVID-19; The world has realised what the bereaved already knew: the future is not certain; and Five benefits of grief journaling.

Follow @talkaboutloss on Twitter.

Credit: @talkaboutloss on Instagram

P.S. Ever wonder how we come up with ideas for our blog profiles? Our handy list of industries and subjects on PR Newswire for Journalists stays top of mind. If you’re a blogger or journalist looking for mental health news, let us know. We can customize a newsfeed for you.

Marisa is a Senior Customer Content Specialist, SEO Certified team member and expert on press release distribution. She’s been with Cision since 2013. Connect with her on LinkedIn.