This is my favorite book about grief and loss, in part because it covers losses other than death. It is geared toward people who are impacted by other people’s drinking, but the wisdom within its pages can be helpful to anyone who is facing a loss. The book has chapters to deal with several different types of loss including:
- The loss of a dream, which includes mourning what we never had, mourning financial loss, and mourning unmet expectations.
- A lost childhood for those of us who had childhoods marred by alcoholism or abuse.
- The loss of relationships, including the loss of a partner and estrangement from family members.
- Death
There is also an excellent chapter on coping with difficult feelings. One of the things I love about this book is that it gave me permission to feel feelings that might not be considered acceptable by some people. I turned to the pages of this book when my estranged mother died, and it was a reminder that it is okay to feel whatever I am feeling.
Although this book does have “program speak” in it, as it was designed for members of 12-step programs, it is a book that can be helpful for anyone facing a loss, especially non-death losses.