The loss of a loved one creates stress and pain that may leave you feeling isolated. Previous support networks may become distant, but grief blogs can help you feel less alone. While establishing personal connections is vital, many find encouragement and support through a online virtual social group. Several bloggers who write consistently about grief and recovery, and blogs about grief can help you through a difficult period.
Professional Grief Blogs
Some websites are established by business, charities, or foundations with the intent of providing articles, blogs, and a sense of community among its readership.
Open to Hope
The site Open to Hope shares the mission of the non-profit group under the same name. By allowing people to share their stories of loss, they open the door to listening, processing, and communicating compassion and hope. Walk away from this site feeling there is hope even in the deepest despair.
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation
The Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation is a non-profit organization inspired by the life of the psychiatrist, hospice pioneer, and author. She is best known as the "death and dying lady" or the "creator of the Five Stages" of grief. She liked to describe herself as "the life and living lady" because embracing all of life includes dealing with death. Valuable information abounds on this site, if only because of the presentation of the stages for processing grief. The blog is updated regularly and there are many links to local partners and resources which they endorse.
The Art of Dying Well
The Centre for the Art of Dying Well at St. Mary's University produces this rich resource, which includes a blog. The site wants people to rethink the art of community and engagement at the end of life. Research and studies are a part of this information, so many of the articles sound more like an academic journal. The site gives credence and validity to all of its ideas.
Talk Death
TalkDeath's mission is to encourage positive conversations around death and dying. The death positive movement tries to change society's hesitancy to talk about death. Their hope is the people will become comfortable talking about these incredibly important issues even around the dinner table.
Modern Loss
Modern Loss is a website that developed from two friends' separate experiences with sudden loss. They struggled to find resources that were not too clinical, too religious, or not very helpful. The site feels more like a newspaper or magazine dealing with many topics surrounding loss. You can follow the site through a variety of social media links. It will also send updates each day to your email inbox. They also sponsor and support local events because, as the site's founders Rebecca Soffer and Gabrielle Birkner write, "misery loves company, and nachos."
Dying Matters
Dying Matters has an active group of 12,000 members who commit their efforts to changing attitudes and behaviors around death and dying. The site is run by Hospice UK, which specializes in caring for families while the loved one is in the last days of life. They want to "break the stigma, challenge preconceptions and normalize public openness around death, dying and bereavement."
Funeral One
The FuneralOne website shares a unique perspective on the subject of death and dying. The site provides resources and a blog for death and dying professionals. Websites for funeral homes and information for funeral directors are changing drastically. Funeral homes now provide counseling and support for the grieving families. While some information will not be pertinent to the general public, many of the issues funeral directors study can provide comfort and understanding for everyone.
Elisabeth Elliot Foundation
It is difficult to categorize the work and writings of the late Elisabeth Elliot and the foundation that continues working in her name. If your journey through grief relies on a perspective of faith, this site may provide encouragement and hope. Ms. Elliot's first husband was killed in 1956 when the two were missionaries in Ecuador. Over a decade later when she remarried, her second husband died of cancer within five years of their marriage. The site has weekly posts combining her writings and the contributions of editors and staff. A weekly newsletter updates local grief events and support groups.
Grieving Dads
In the world of blogging, it is easy to find writing about brokenness, grief, and pathways toward healing. Most of the blogs either give a common vantage point, or share the thoughts from the eyes of a woman. According to studies, women communicate about three times as many words as men. Grieving Dads provides articles from a father's perspective. The blog is added to regularly, and there are opportunities for men to share their own stories.
What's Your Grief?
What's Your Grief? attempts to provide "grief support for the rest of us." By encouraging readers to share and support one another, the site provides a blog, resources, and more. Overcoming the tendency to become isolated during grief, the site both encourages and challenges those in the process of mourning the death of a loved one.
Personal Grief Blogs
A personal blog feels more intimate than some websites run by organizations. The personal sites still attempt to help guide through the stages of grief, but often do not share the more technical sides of the process. While not carrying every perspective, the personal grief blog gives you one person's story. There are several that are worth your time to read.
Simon Thomas: A Grief Shared
As Simon Thomas wrote, "Four months ago I have never written a blog" in his life. But on November 24, 2017, his life changed. His wife, Gemma, died just three days after being diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Her loss left Simon without a wife, and their 8-year-old son, "without a mum." Thomas expresses his journey through his words and his photography. He hopes the reader finds meaning "as I discovered in the most painful way, life is so very precious."
On the Way to Dying
Paula McCann is an Elder Law attorney, estate planner, and probate litigator practicing law in Vermont and Colorado. Her goal in the blog states, "I want to reduce the suffering I witness among the dying and those who love them." She shares her personal story in the blog, but does so by sharing ways to wander through the legal paths of the journey. She handles the incredibly difficult topics that families need to make together before a loved one dies.
Refuge in Grief
Megan Devine is a psychotherapist, author and writer, grief advocate, and a student of communication. Her site and blog are "dedicated to helping you live through things you never thought you'd face." The result of her efforts and her site produced an online community and a resource. She has a book, podcasts, and online courses to help people improve their skills to manage grief.
Working Through Grief
Working through grief is an individual process. Each person sets the tone and pace for progress. While some coping strategies can be handled alone, most individuals rely on the thoughts and encouragement of others to manage the challenges. Grief blogs can bolster personal support by conveying similar circumstances and feelings while using a fresh perspective on coping strategies.
