Customer Reviews

Surviving Grief ... and Learning to Live Again

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Most of the books I've read on grieving were personal accounts which are somewhat helpful, however this book actually helps you handle your grief and dealing with living again which I'd been having a problem with since the death of my husband years ago. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who has lost a loved one to death and wants to understand what is happening to them. This book makes grief make sense. And is written in an extremely understandable and readable style. The only problem I had getting through this book was I had to keep putting it down because I was crying. The book lives up to its title.

This was the first book I ever read that discussed the aspect of grief that caused me the most trouble. Although I looked like the same person on the outside, after experiencing the deaths of my brother and mother, inside I was NOT the same & had a very difficult time tying to step back into my life and this book is one of the few that deals with that. I have bought copies for friends coping with loss and grief and they have benefitted from it as well. If you or someone you know is dealing with the death of someone, do yourselves a favor & buy this book!

I am so thankful for finding this book and reading the reviews about it. There are many books about grief, but this got me through the phase I was stuck in. I had lost a husband, mother and sister in a short time, and kept telling people I had an "insecure" feeling that I couldn't shake. Your friends don't know how to lead you out of your misery, but this author does. She has been through more than I have and pointed out to me what a frightening place the world can be when your whole life has been turned upside down. I thought I should be able to handle anything and had gone through all the phases but she pointed out how I needed to go back and really "grieve". I did and feel so much stronger now! I recommend this book for everyone who really wants to get on with the rest of your life and not be stuck like I was.

A concise but thorough look at surviving grief. The author is well-aware that one doesn't "get over" grief..but survives it.

Dr. Sanders' "Self-Profile of Bereavement" beginning on page 19 offers a thumb-nail sketch of "where you are" in your grief. Although there could be a cautionary note: "In the first days/weeks/months you may feel all of these things and if you seek professional help, that shows strength not weakness."

Perhaps I was drawn to this book because the author, like me, lost a son named "Jim."

This book is incredible. It has been my lifeline - twice! Once with a death that was a shock, once with an expected death. The author explains what grief is and what is happening to us as we go through it. She helps you understand why you are feeling the way you are... and understanding WHY and knowing it is normal - even good! - really helps you cope with it. At first the book got me through grief, and then later on, it helped me even appreciate the grief experience - if you can believe that.

If you are in grief, buy this book and let it hold your hand for a while. It will help. If you were once if grief but the immediate trauma is over, buy this book - it helps you reflect and understand what you went through and how it shapes you now. If you know someone who is grieving - buy this book for them! And if you are supporting someone who is grieving, buy this for yourself, so that you know what is going on with the grieving person, how you can help them, and how there will be times where you can't help and just need to stand by them silently and let them grieve.

This is a practical, realistic book and it is friendly and warm to read. BUY IT! Honestly!

I first purchased this book (after previewing MANY at Barnes and Noble) in 1996 when my mother was in hospice care. Since that time, I have purchased many copies of this book for others who find themselves beginning their journey of grief. This book not only offers detail and guidance through the stages of grief, but also becomes an excellent reference through the years. Highly recommend...one of my TOP favorites! Be blessed on your journey or walking beside someone who is on their way...

This has been the most helpful book I have read after the loss of the love of my life, which was an unexpected shock. The stages are realistic. The case histories are insightful. I am very grateful that Dr. Sanders wrote this book and decided to share it with the rest of us. The fact she suffered three huge losses herself: her son, her mother and her recently separated husband, makes it all the more credible and empathetic to the reader. I also appreciate the fact that Dr. Sanders includes not only the scientific perspective but also the Christian perspective of an afterlife and spirit life. She normalizes the phenomena of seeing flickers/shadows and sensing presences versus calling it psychotic behavior, as many other mental health professionals are inclined to do.

After my mother died I was so depressed I thought I was going crazy. This book saved me from thinking I was going crazy. There is so much more to grieving than I realized. This book explains it so clearly and is so easy to read. I have given away 7 or 8 of these away to friends who had lost loved ones. They all read this book in 1 day. All of them were so comforted by this book. I not only recommend it. I keep a copy of it handy to give to friends in need.

A friend was grieving the loss of a wife, with no family nearby for comfort. This book answered questions and provided guidance for a healthy recovery from loss. Three years later, my friend is now engaged!

Having lost my beloved 16 year old son from my life recently, I've read all kinds of grief-orientated books. This was a good book and worthy of stating so here.

Written by clinical practitioner, PhD Catherine Sanders, the chapter dedicated to parental bereavement is one she has lived through, having survived the death of her own teenaged son. So Dr. Sanders knows of that which she preaches when dispensing that elusive ingredient, hope, in grief healing.

"Surviving Grief..." describes the pain of grief and goes through the stages of grief - shock, awareness of loss, conservation and the need to withdraw, the turning point and finally, renewal. In addition to the chapter devoted to the loss of a child, there are also sections about the loss of a parent and the loss of a spouse.

As the subtitle suggests, the reader is given ample inspiration and motivation in order to live again. Knowledge is power, but in the case of bereavement, one is most needy of the light of hope through a dark tunnel. This grief book supplies both.