A loss of any kind can lead to difficult identity changes. Shifts in one's sense-of-self, roles that no longer need to be fulfilled, and added responsibilities culminate to create overwhelming stress and confusion as a person has to figure out who they are in the context of life after loss.

In this podcast, we discuss the many ways that loss leads to identity changes. We also discuss ways to stay focused on the pieces of you that will stay the same and how to remain flexible towards the elements of your life that will have to change.

Sigmund Freud first proposed the concept of ‘defense mechanisms’ as an element of his influential theory of personality. For those of you who took Psych 101, think back to the Id, Ego, and Superego in which all elements, with the exception of the ego, reside in the unconscious. Since their introduction, the concept of defense mechanisms has been expanded quite a bit, and they are still used today to try to understand certain behavioral patterns. In this episode of the What’s Your Grief Podcast, we discuss how people sometimes use defense mechanisms to cope with grief.

0:00 - 4:30: Introductions

Ongoing and Upcoming eCourses

Upcoming events

4:30 - 29:00: Using Defense Mechanisms in Grief

Denial

Regression

Projection

Displacement

Intellectualization

Undoing

Humor

Sublimation

Altruism

Post: Using Defense Mechanisms in Grief

Post: 31 Psychological Defense Mechanisms via Psychologist World

Many people have to return to work within days after experiencing the death of a loved one. Others have a little more flexibility, but must eventually take the step to return to the workplace and workforce.

In this podcast the girls of What's Your Grief discuss returning to work after the death of a loved one. They address some of the common barriers and offer suggestions for reducing stress during this transition.

0:00 - 5:40: Announcements

5:40 - 15:00: Things we've watched and read about grief

15:00 - 35:00: Returning to work after the death of a loved one

What's Your Grief

One emotional experience that many grieving people find particularly confusing is the realization that their thoughts, emotions, and needs occasionally seem to conflict with one another. In this episode of the What's Your Grief Podcast, we discuss the sometimes conflicting emotions of grief.  We also answer a reader questions about seeking therapy after a loss.

Show Notes: www.whatsyourgrief.com/forty-eight

People give up homes for various reasons. Sometimes the circumstances are in their control (such as making the choice to sell a house and move to a new one) and sometimes they aren’t (like in the case of foreclosure, house fire, natural disaster, or death of the primary resident). Leaving a home can be very sad and emotional regardless of the reason. In today's podcast, we discuss the emotional experience of saying goodbye to a home and grieving places from the past.

Show Notes: www.whatsyourgrief.com/forty-seven

We've been telling you for weeks to get caught up on NBC's 'This is Us' because we're going to talk about it.  Well, today is the day.  If you've been watching This is Us, then you've probably noticed the many grief themes that have played out in episodes 1-11.  In this episode of the What's Your Grief Podcast, we discuss four of the main grief themes that we've observed in this critically acclaimed television show.

Notes: www.whatsyourgrief.com/forty-six