We are among providers of the cremation services in Bellingham, WA who are providing grief resources for families who’ve lost a loved one. While many of these resources centers on counseling and support groups, the funeral director may also recommend one of these very helpful books about grief.

Don’t expect to want to pick up a book about grief right away. Grieving is such an intensely personal process that there is no room, mentally or emotionally, for any more input in the first six months or years after a loved one dies. Grieving is something, initially, that in some sense we have to experience alone.

However, there comes a point in time will be ready for external input and then we may turn to books to talk about grief. Many of them missed the mark. There are either very clinical and don’t address in an empathetic way what we’re feeling, or they’re sketchy with an almost hocus-pocus feel that’s not appropriate when addressing grief.

However, there are some very good books that have been written about grief. Here’s a list of a few.

Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief by Claire Bidwell Smith, LCPC is a book that everyone who has grieved for the loss of a loved one. Smith found herself dealing with sudden and random anxiety attacks several years after her mother died while she was in high school. They were so scary that she thought she was having a heart attack. After the first one, Smith began experiencing anxiety about anxiety attacks, and it impacted her life in dramatic ways.

As a therapist, Smith began to look at the connection between grief and anxiety. What she found is that anxiety is linked to unresolved grief. In her case, her mother suffered from cancer for several years and died when she was in high school. Smith felt like she needed to take care of her dad, who was significantly older than her mom, so she set, unknowingly, her grief for her mom’s death aside. That is unresolved grief.

It manifests itself in anxiety attacks and panic attacks that occur out of the blue. Smith gives a lot of very helpful techniques for resolving grief and also for managing anxiety attacks until the grief is fully resolved.

Another excellent book is Grieving: A Beginner’s Guide by Jerusha Hull McCormack. After the author’s husband died at an early age, McCormack, who was young as well, found out that she was the widow she knew. The book details the fog of grief that surrounds the first year after a loved one dies. Unlike many of the grief books that use clichés like “keep yourself busy” or “be strong,” McCormack focuses on how transformative grief that is expressed can be.

I’m Grieving as Fast as I Can by Linda Feinberg is another excellent book on the grieving process. Feinberg addresses topics that many other books shy away from, including going back to work, the guilt feelings that accompany grieving and having suicidal feelings after losing someone you love to death. Because the book was written before social media was born, some of the networking and dating advice may seem outdated, but this book is full of practical advice and wisdom about dealing with grief.

For additional information about grief resources and cremation services, our empathetic and knowledgeable staff at Moles Farewell Tributes & Crematory – Bayview Chapel is here to assist you. We also serve the areas of Bellingham, Ferndale, and Mount Vernon, WA. You can come by our funeral home at 2465 Lakeway Dr., Bellingham, WA 98229 or you can contact us today at (360) 733-0510.