Most people will inevitably face the loss of a significant person in their lives, yet discussions about death are often avoided or bring fear and discomfort. This fear is referred to as Thanatophobia, which describes anxiety surrounding death or the dying process.
This blog aims to address various aspects of death, dying, and grief. My journey with loss began at the age of five when I experienced the death of my father. To me, he will forever remain “Daddy,” as that’s how I referred to him when he was alive. Following his death, I found myself grieving without much support. During that time, there was a general belief that children were resilient and didn’t require assistance as they grieved. The impact of my father’s death was profound. I experienced severe separation anxiety and an unrelenting fear of losing another family member while I was at school. When I expressed my grief, I was reprimanded by my teacher, making my anxiety even worse. However, my first-grade teacher was supportive and understanding. She validated my emotions and let me know that she was available to me when I needed her.
Throughout my young life through high school, I developed an aversion to discussions surrounding death. I experienced a great deal of anxiety and depression whenever confronted with the topic. This fear persisted until I started college. In my first year of post-secondary, I made a conscious decision to confront my death fears. I decided to explore the topic of children’s grief in a psychology class, starting my journey of self-understanding and empowerment. As I got deeper into the literature about grief, I found validation for my own experiences. I also realized a sense of purpose – to help others as they experience the death of a significant person and grieve the loss with self-compassion and understanding.
I pursued further education and training, eventually becoming certified as a Thanatologist (the study of death, dying, and grief) and becoming certified in Death and Grief Studies. My incredibly painful experience of my father’s death launched me into a calling to provide knowledge about death and grief and bring comfort to those grieving.