How To Overcome The Shock of the Unexpected Loss of A Loved One

For Immediate Release

 Contact: Jackie O’Neal O’Neal Media Group

 (609) 334-8621

 jackieoneal@helloworld.com

 How To Overcome The Shock of the Unexpected Loss of A Loved One

(Edina, MN) Dr. Beth Erickson, a psychotherapist in private practice for over three decades, offers therapeutic tips for families that struggle with the shock of the unexpected loss of a loved one. When a loved dies suddenly the reality of the loss can be devastating.

The sudden, accidental death of Natasha Richardson is a good example.

Dr. Beth says: “Your whole world goes topsy turvy for a time. You feel bereft and lost like aliens have taken you and left a stranger in your midst. A roller coaster of emotions is predictable.” But how does one grieve while still needing to be functional at work and in being present to one’s immediate family?

 Dr. Beth says it is possible to do although difficult. She offers five do’s for those actively grieving:

5 Do’s:

 Be pateint with yourself- Expect for a time, your functioning will not be what it once was, or will be, again. Let others around you know of your grief. Ask help in staying focused. Accept help from those who want to take over any mundane tasks, until you are yourself again.

 Find a listening post- Good listeners do just that: they listen. They don’t tell you to get over it. There are practical ways to find good listeners. These include grief support groups, clergy, sibling, best friend, sympathetic colleague, or psychotherapist. Remember that grieving is not completed in a day-or a month, or a year- You are not just grieving the lost loved one, you are letting go a part of yourself. It takes time. As time passes, your pain will begin to subside.

Talk about it, cry about it, and sit with it- People regularly ask me how to tell when they have resolved a loss. My answer is always: “You’ll know.” You simply beging to feel different. You will be changed by your experience, yet you will feel back to being yourself again.

Understand nobody else can feel exactly as you do; they can only try- Don’t make it harder by isolating yourself. Even if people don’t share your exact emotional experience, many kind souls will try to honor your pain and changed reality.

                                                                       # # #

National News

For Immediate Release
Contact: Jackie O’Neal
O’Neal Media Group
jackieoneal@helloworld.com
(609) 334-8621

How to Cope When The Economy is Taking A Toll On Your Mental Health And Marriage

According to a USA Today article “Mental stress spirals with economy”a recent Gallup-Healthways poll shows a lot of people are suffering in this scary economic crisis.

Americans became increasingly stressed out and experienced worsened mental health — a trend that continues today, according to a landmark Gallup-Healthways poll out this week.

Done nearly every day in 2008 and still ongoing, the survey of 355,334 people is believed to be the largest, longest and most thorough poll showing how emotional well-being shifts with economic changes.

Stress shot up over 2008, peaking in the fall and winter as the economic crisis deepened, then continuing high through February. The 10 least happy days of 2008 all were in the last quarter.

•Emotional well-being overall dropped, too, driven largely by declines in mental health for the poorest people.

•Americans’ moods were ultra-sensitive to economic news. Well-being plunged on days when the Dow lost big and with reports of high jobless claims.

Dr. Beth Erickson has practiced marriage and family therapy for over three decades since completing her post-doctoral program at The Family Institute, which is part of Northwestern University. and author of three books: Marriage Isn’t For Sissies: 7 Simple Keys to Unlocking the Best Part of Your Life, Longing for Dad: Father Loss and Its Impact, and Helping Men Change: The Role of the Female Therapist. offers couples these tips for alleviating stress:

In broad brushstrokes, there are three basic types of responses couples have to the current economic turmoil – or any trying situation, for that matter. See if you recognize yourself.
1. You wall yourselves off from each other emotionally. You take their fears, and insecurities and go down inside with them, where your spouse is protected from or not able to be privy to them. Then your marriage is at risk of extramarital affairs, and you, or your spouse are subject to depression, substance abuse, and domestic violence in an attempt to manage your fears and frustrations. These “solutions,” of course, compound the problem.
2. You blame each other for your current situation, rather than taking responsibility for your part in the problem or in what might solve it. “If only’s” and “You should have’s” only lay down the gauntlet for fights. And they do nothing constructive to solve the problem(s) created by the current financial mess. Then your interactions usually result in conflict and accomplish nothing except greater desperation and isolation.
3. The most constructive response to this or any crisis is to talk with your spouse about your fears and disappointments. If these conversations become explosive and threaten to drive a wedge between you, you know to table it until cooler heads prevail. You understand that your spouse may be too overwhelmed to provide empathy and support. Your next best solution is to journal and confide in a trusted friend, family member, or colleague. You do not to fight about your situation as this will only exacerbate the problem.
Top 3 Do’s and Don’ts:
Do’s:
• Mutually share your feelings.
• Take responsibility for: 1) your part in your situation if you have behaved in ways that make your financial situation more dire; or 2) what you can do to work towards a solution.
• Take at least one action a day to improve your situation, even if it just means clipping coupons or driving less.
Don’ts:
• Begin statements with “you,” because that provides an excuse to blame your spouse and excuse yourself from taking responsibility.
• Worry obsessively. If that is difficult for you, give yourself 10 minutes a day to worry and even “disasterize” about all the dreadful events that could happen. Then, if you start worrying again, remind yourself that you aren’t allowed to worry again until tomorrow.
• Frustrate yourself by trying to control what you can’t control. Instead, focus on what you can.
A Final Word:
There are three entities in any marriage: spouse A, spouse B, and the marriage. Take care of that third entity if you value it, so that your marriage doesn’t become a casualty of these tough economic times.

Articles

WHAT IS A PITCH LETTER? O’Neal Media Group Pitch letters are letters personally written to individual journalists, writers, or editors (and more recently website owners and bloggers) that pitch a specific story idea to them for coverage.     Differences Between Pitch Letters and Press Releases Pitch letters and press releases both pitch a potential story to members of the media. However, there are a few key differences: 1. Pitch letters aren’t mass-distributed like press releases. They’re personally addressing individual editors or writers. 2. Pitch letters can be used in cases not newsworthy enough to warrant a press release (such as trying to solicit reviews for a book or product that’s no longer brand new). 3. Pitch letters are generally shorter than press releases, because it’s just a pitch saying why something should be covered, as opposed a press release which has to give more background details. 4. Pitch letters are less likely to get lost in the huge pile of press releases that some journalists receive daily. 5. Pitch letters are more tailored to the needs of certain publications, from their target audience to their editorial calendars. 6. Pitch letters can be more promotional in nature than a press release can be. For example, if a company unveils a new product and sends a review copy to a journalist, the accompanying pitch letter would detail features and specs, rather than simply promoting the news angle of it being new. Pitch Letter Follow-Ups In most cases, following up with a journalist or editor after sending a pitch letter is appropriate, although some journalists dislike the follow-up process. The best way to follow up about a pitch letter is through a simple phone call. The idea is to offer additional information, without turning the call into its own sales pitch. If the story idea is turned down, there’s no need to try to pressure someone to cover it, but it’s perfectly acceptable to try to find out why the story idea wasn’t appealing, so the pitch letter can be re-worked before sending it to additional media outlets. Never re-send the pitch letter to a journalist that already rejected the story, even if it’s re-drafted with a somewhat different angle.

 

 

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!