Traumatic grief workshop open to whole community

Johnny scaled the fence at the railroad yard and attempted to jump onto a moving boxcar. He failed and the community mourned. Judy and Mike were driving up into the hills to be alone. She was snug up against him without a seat belt on. Mike took a curve too fast and the community mourned. Barry was curious about a pistol his father kept in a display case. He took it out, it fired and the community mourned.

Tomorrow evening, Thursday, Feb. 27, Bonner Community Hospice will host a community education event titled “Coping with Traumatic Grief,” from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Brown House just north of Bonner General Hospital.

“This workshop will describe the special issues that arise at the onset of a sudden, unexpected loss of a loved one,” the promotional flier states. “We will provide an overview of traumatic grief and describe how traumatic loss affects our lives. We will teach ways to find stability in the grieving process and touch upon the impact of traumatic loss for friends, family and community.”

Guest speakers for the event are Ginna Maus, LCSW, Bonner Community Hospice and Marina Ferrier, PhD, a marriage and family counselor. Panel guests will include Benjamin Robert-son, MSW, Bonner Com-munity Hospice and community members affected by traumatic loss. Everyone is invited to attend, and there is no fee.

The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies states that sudden shocking losses can be particularly difficult.”

These include:

1. Deaths that occur without warning, providing no opportunity to anticipate, prepare or say goodbye;

2. The death of one’s child (some evidence it’s worse with young children than adult children);

3. Deaths that occur as the result of violence or of violent harm to the body;

4. A death in which the body is never recovered;

5. Multiple losses deaths of more than one person; and

6. Deaths that occur as a result of the willful misconduct of others, carelessness or negligence. Causes of such losses include disease, accidents, suicide, homicide, war and terrorism.

We all react differently to these situations. Reactions can vary a great deal from person to person and culture to culture and can involve a very large range of intense emotions. Whether the deceased is a family member, a friend, an acquaintance or celebrity we can feel an emptiness or helplessness.

“The death of a loved one may provoke existential, spiritual or identity crises that challenge one’s faith or one’s assumptions about life’s meaning. Current research on grief and loss teaches us to respect an individual’s way of coping with a loss, while at the same time looking for signs and symptoms of potentially serious complications that could be alleviated,” the ISTSS says.

“It is a mistake to assume that a bereaved person with major depressive symptoms is just having a ‘normal’ reaction, since depression is a serious but treatable disorder. When the death is particularly shocking in some way, there also can be symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder.”

At the conclusion of tomorrow’s workshop, attendees should have a greater understanding of grief that arises from a sudden, unexpected or tragic loss; be able to understand how traumatic loss impacts us on a psycho-socio and community level; identify tools for coping and navigating the grieving process. They should be able to understand methods for recovery, and to know where to find resources for healing and support.

If you need more information on this workshop, contact Lissa DeFreitas at 265-1185.

Kathy Hubbard is a member of Bonner General Hospital Foundation Board Advisory Committee. She can be reached at 264-4029 or kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com.