When Sorrow Comes: What Can God, You, and Others Do to Help Cope With Grief

The death of a loved one usually triggers a grief crisis and often a spiritual crisis as well. How do we face those crises and the devastation that can accompany them? Drawing on his background as a physician, bereaved parent, grief support group leader, and lecturer on coping with grief, author Richard Dew presents an examination of the effects of these crises and provides advice on dealing with them. In straightforward language, he describes what grief is and how it affects the bereaved. He suggests practical things you can do for yourself to cope with the roller coaster of emotions typically brought on by grief-sadness, hopelessness, depression, guilt, and anger-and includes helpful information for those wishing to comfort friends, colleagues, or family members. Using his experiences and those of others with whom he has worked, he offers reassurance that the bereaved can emerge as hopeful, happy individuals at peace with themselves, their faith, and God. This guide for those who are grieving shares heartfelt encouragement and easy-to-understand steps you can take during the process of healing after the death of a loved one.

Richard Dew, MD, has been a family physician in east Tennessee for fifty years. Following the murder of his twenty-one-year-old son, he became active in the Compassionate Friends, an international support group for families whose children have died. He is the author of three previous books: Medicine with a Human Touch, Rachel's Cry: A Journey through Grief, and Th e Other Side of Silence. He and his wife, Jean, live in Knoxville, Tennessee.