September 8,2002 Hello! In the year 2001... 42,116
people died as a result of 37,795 fatal car accidents. "This year [2001] about
553,400 Americans are expected to die of cancer, more than 1,500 people
a day. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US, exceeded
only by heart disease. In the US, 1 of every 4 deaths is from cancer." "FACT: Cardiovascular
diseases rank as America's No. 1 killer, claiming the lives
of over 40 percent of the nearly 2.4 million Americans who die each
year." Nearly 2.4 million Americans
die each year. Students have friends and relatives in other countries,
as well. Family members and friends are lost. Pets who have lived
with the children and teens for as long as they can remember die.
"It's normal to feel
like your emotions are on a roller coaster no matter what type of
loss you've experienced. You may feel anger, sadness, depression,
frustration, fear, or an enormous sense of relief, particularly if
a loved one suffered a lot before dying. The main thing to keep in
mind is that all of these feelings are OK - and talking about how
you feel can definitely help. . . . Sometimes grief is caused by situations
other than death. The loss of an intimate relationship can also cause
grief, as can major life changes, such as moving. Situations like
these can cause you to feel a huge sense of loss and emptiness. Dealing
with grief and sorting through all the emotions associated with it
can be extremely confusing. Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, MD,
describes five stages of grief that people often experience following
a serious loss . . ." Whether you or someone you
know has lost someone close, it is often hard to know what to do or
say. While an eight-year-old, an eighteen-year-old, and a thirty-eight-year-old
will deal with loss differently, they will all have to figure out
how to deal with it. Questions of the Week: Please email me with any ideas or suggestions. I look forward to reading what you have to say. Cindy |
|||
