Hospice of The Valley's Grief Speak Program.
Helping Teenagers Cope With Grief.
“I’ve learned: I’m not alone. There are people who really care about me and want to help me… it’s okay to cry.”These words come from a new booklet and DVD titled “Grief Speak,” developed by Hospice of the Valley, to help teenagers deal with their grief. According to the agency’s website, http://www.hov.org/teen_grief_program.aspx, grief is “the experience you have when you have lost someone or something important to you. It can look and feel different for everyone and there is no magical time frame for when it ends.”
Teens deal with the loss of loved ones differently than adults or children. Almost every teenager has lost someone close to them -- a friend, a pet, or someone in the family. Yet this age group often is reluctant to ask for help and deal with loss. Hospice of the Valley provides teens with the support and reassurance needed to begin the grief journey.
Hospice of the Valley is there to assist teens when a loved one dies, making it easier for teens in the hope that they can move on with their lives. Many teens experience the death of peers at school and Centennial has experienced its share as well.
There are many ways to express grief and not everyone does it the same way. Grief can present itself in different forms. One way that teens express grief is through anger. The booklet says “it is normal to feel angry with the person who has died.” Other teenagers may express their grief by becoming withdrawn or not expressing any open signs of grief. Grief not only affects teenagers’ actions and emotions; it also can affect them physically, with restlessness/hyperactivity, lack of energy or even pain around the heart, which is where the term heartache originated. Teenagers also may be affected spiritually, questioning their faith or “why bad things have to happen.” Not only will grieving teenagers have to deal with grief, but they may have to deal with other life changes, such as moving, or altered relationships with surviving family members.
Hospice’s of the Valley’s program, Grief Speak, is here to help by simply providing resources for grieving teenagers. Through Grief Speak, teenagers can anonymously chat with other teens about their grief in “Teens Talking to Teens,” an online discussion group. The chat is moderated by certified hospice bereavement counselors for the safety of the teenager. For teenagers who want a more face-to-face approach, there are support groups or even a river rafting trip in Utah called Grief Gone Wild. For resources or more information about ordering the Grief Speak booklet, visit Hospice of the Valley’s website hov.org or call 602-530-6987 in Phoenix.
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