The Sudden Loss Survival Guide: 7 Essential Practices for Healing Grief

There are situations in a person’s life that can change them for the better or the worse. The loss of a loved one, whether expected or unexpected, is one such situation. The pain is hiding behind every moment spent without the person in your life. In our Western culture, death is not a hot topic, making it more difficult for those grieving their loved ones to be able to talk about what they are feeling and experiencing.

In Chelsea Hanson’s The Sudden Loss Survival Guide: Seven Essential Practices for Healing Grief, she outlines and explains practices that a grieving individual can work on to allow themselves the best chance of “healing.” The misunderstood five stages of grief are a myth when it comes to overcoming your sorrow. With Hanson’s advice, you can work through your grief at your own speed and allow yourself the knowledge and resources necessary to rediscover yourself.

The practices in the book are all doable. Some of them seem like common sense things, but when you’re deeply hurt, they aren’t. I appreciate that Hanson is writing from a place of personal understanding, and it’s obvious that she really cares about helping others. She is thorough about all of the aspects of grieving, and the book is a helpful and worthwhile resource.