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black_kyanite t1_iv32hna wrote

It's not exactly current anymore, but J. William Worden's model outlined in his book discusses the four tasks of morning:

  1. Accept the reality of the loss.

  2. Work through the pain associated with the loss.

  3. Adjust to a world without the deceased.

  4. Find an enduring connection with the deceased amidst moving on to a new life.

This was the model used when I was a professional grief counselor. I think it still holds up pretty well.

Worden also had some thoughts on complicated bereavement and I think there were some chapters on specific losses such as suicide, child loss, or if you loved one goes missing.

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pororoca_surfer OP t1_iv33lw0 wrote

Thank you for the reference and the comment, I will look into that.

A lot of comments here, albeit valuable and interesting, are leaning towards personal experience. Which is valid and I shouldn't be skeptical just because. But it is nice, at least in this sub, to have some fundamental to look into. Thanks!

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black_kyanite t1_iv34w6s wrote

You're most welcome. Irvin Yalom, a psychiatrist in California, has also written extensively on death, dying, and other existential concerns in many of his books. His nonfiction is best. I liked Creatures of a Day. He also co-wrote A Matter of Death and Life with his wife Marilyn while she was dying of cancer. It blends his personal and professional experience with grief and loss. Psychology is a pretty soft, pretty new, pretty inexact science, but he's a tenured Stanford professor, so it's pretty safe to say he knows what's up. I'd recommend it if you want a book that has less of a clinical/textbook vibe than J.W. Worden's.

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