Recent Stories
Hi Dr. Neimeyer, My husband died unexpectedly five years ago at the age of 54. We were together for 33 years. He dropped dead in front of me with no warning. They said that he was gone before he hit the floor. We had a very good marriage and I am thankful for the time […]
Continue ReadingDear Dr. Neimeyer I have read and appreciate your work about meaning reconstruction in loss. I have a friend whose grief is so complicated and consuming that she can’t find life for herself (her husband died from cancer about six years ago) and she can’t seem to move forward at all. Here is an excerpt […]
Continue ReadingDealing with Anticipatory Grief Dear Dr. Neimeyer, My question is about anticipatory grief, the distress that family members can feel when a loved one is receiving end-of-life care. I work in a palliative care unit of a large hospital, and we often have families who are overwhelmed with the reality of the patient’s impending death, […]
Continue ReadingDear Dr. Neimeyer, My question is regarding my mother. We lost my father very unexpectedly this past summer, and she is having a very hard time with his loss, as we all are. My question is this: Is it good for her to have her bedroom looking like a shrine to him, so that whenever […]
Continue ReadingEditor’s Note: this is an eloquent response to Dr. Neimeyer’s recent post “What is the Meaning of Life? Goodbye to 2023″ which can be found here: What is the Meaning of Life? Goodbye to 2023 Dear Dr. Neimeyer, For many seasons have you offered support, real support to those of us who have lost loved […]
Continue ReadingWhat is the Meaning of Life? We repost this classic Dr. Neimeyer piece as every new year approaches. –The Editors Dear Dr. Neimeyer, I have just one question, but it is a big one. In your opinion, what is the meaning of life?–Nicolae Dear Nicolae, I’m a practicing psychologist who works alongside people who are […]
Continue ReadingGrieving for a Husband/Father During the Holidays Dear Dr. Neimeyer, My husband Don died 9 months ago after a rapid decline; and his lungs basically stopped working, even with oxygen treatments. His death has been hard for us as a family in many ways, as he lived only about 6 months after getting the diagnosis, and […]
Continue ReadingDear Dr Neimeyer, My attention was recently drawn to your website, and especially this section of it, and I now have a great desire to ask for your help. My beloved husband wanted to die at home. We had been married for over 50 years, and he had suffered with lung cancer and eventually dementia for […]
Continue ReadingDear Dr. Neimeyer– My husband died just over a year ago, so on January 1st I will start my second year without him, and I am not looking forward to it. It’s not that I am immobilized by grief, as I have gotten better across the months in that department, and actually feel pretty good […]
Continue ReadingDear Dr. Neimeyer, A good deal of my practice with grieving clients is influenced by your work and that of your colleagues like Dennis Klass on the idea of continuing bonds–the concept that bereaved people really are striving to maintain their attachment to deceased loved ones who have died rather than “let go,” “withdraw energy […]
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