Resources

Coping with Grief and Loss

Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. Often, the pain of loss can feel overwhelming. You may experience all kinds of difficult and unexpected emotions, from shock or anger to disbelief, guilt, and profound sadness. The pain of grief can also disrupt your physical health, making it difficult to sleep, eat, or even think straight. These are normal reactions to loss—and the more significant the loss, the more intense your grief will be. There is no right or wrong way to grieve, but there are healthy ways to deal with the grieving process. These tips can help.

Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing (GRASP)

GRASP was created to offer understanding, compassion, and support for those who have lost someone they love through addiction and overdose. Too many times we suffer not only the death of the person we love, but we become isolated in our grief. We feel, and too many times it is true, that no one understands our pain. But at GRASP, we do. We have suffered this same kind of loss and we have found the love and connection that only those who have lived this loss can give another. And while the pain of this loss will always be with us, we have found through GRASP that we don’t have to walk the road that is our pain alone. We walk it together; hand in hand and heart to heart. Please come, join us. And become a part of the healing community that is GRASP.

Center for Grieving Children

The Center for Grieving Children was founded in 1987 by Portland, Maine resident Bill Hemmens, following the death of his sister. In trying to find help and support for his niece Erin, Bill recognized that children need peers and caring adults to support them through their grief, because death profoundly affects every aspect of their lives. Today, The Center for Grieving Children serves more than 4,000 grieving children, teens, families, and young adults annually through peer support, outreach, and education. Since its founding in 1987, the Center for Grieving Children has served more than 66,000 children, teens, and their families.

Support Groups at Hope Floats

Hope Floats is a bereavement and educational center for adults, children, teens, and their families who are grieving, dealing with illness, or facing other life challenges. Our free support services bring hope and healing to those in need. At Hope Floats we offer free support groups for a variety of losses, helping children, teens, and adults cope with their grief in healthy ways in a safe, confidential setting. Our support groups are led by trained peer facilitators who often have shared experiences. Our Hope Floats team also includes a variety of counselors who are available to support individuals dealing with grief and other life struggles.