TRIGGER WARNING: Pet Loss and Grief - Here we have an in-depth conversation surrounding pet loss, grief and all the emotions that come with it. We understand how this discussion may impact listeners - And that this episode may not be for everyone. We hope, listener or not, that you explore the information below to help you find healing.
Welcome to Beers and Biscuits, a Dogcast for the rest of us!
Here we explore, and seek to validate, the pain of loss and normalize the grief associated with it. We explore different types of grief, and we hope to bring about understanding and empathy to anyone who has experienced, or who is still experiencing the wealth of emotions related to all kinds of losses.
In this episode we discuss both Anticipatory Grief and Disenfranchised Grief as common threads in pet loss grief. We also explore some of the other emotions that can be tied to grief and loss, like guilt and resentment. We talk about the cumulative grief we can experience throughout life when we experience losses of all kinds, and how heavy those bricks can feel when we carry them around with us.
“…we need empathy now more than ever… Companion Animal Grief deserves empathy, compassion, and validation. From society, from your boss, from friends and family, and from the griever themselves. Your heartbreak and anguish over the loss of your pet is valid. To have your life shattered over this loss is valid. It is not less-than in any way. This is the permission you need to take this form of grief seriously—and demand others do too.” Michelle Reindal (The Paid Pup) What I Want You To Know About Companion Animal Grief (substack.com)
Resources for learning about grief:
The Grief Recovery Handbook by John W. James and Russell Friedman
A pet’s death can hurt more than losing a fellow human | Popular Science (popsci.com) By Dyani Sabin
Beth Bigler, GC-C, PGSS-C, Pet Loss Grief Counselor at Honoring Our Animals Honoring Our Animals | Online Pet Loss Grief Counseling
What Is Grief? Types, Symptoms & How To Cope (clevelandclinic.org)
13 Types of Grief + How to Treat Loss in Therapy (positivepsychology.com) (helpful resources at end also)
We hope you enjoyed the conversation and please don’t forget to give your dog a biscuit from us. Until next time.
Where you can find us: @beers.biscuits | @thetimelessdog | @peterpiper_pickel | Ideas, Questions, Comments – Email us: beersandbiscuits@gmail.com
You can find a closed caption version of this episode on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@BeersBiscuits
Be Gentle! - This episode was produced by us on AudioDirector.
Music: “Life Made More” by Roo Walker - Available for download on Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/roo-walker/life-made-more License code: CL7WA8Z4CXUUCHYD
