"Based on my forty year career in grief counseling, I give this
work an unqualified recommendation for both professionals who care
for grieving parents as well as for parents who are trying to
understand their own losses or those of relatives or
friends."--Gerald Corey, EdD, ABPP; in Illness, Crisis, and
Loss
"This notable book provides new and substantive research data
and perspective about how parents cope with the devastation that
follows the death of a child to suicide or drugs...It greatly
enriches our understanding to offer appropriate response for the
healing journey of traumatically bereaved parents."--The Forum: The
Newsletter of the Association for Death Education and Counseling
(ADEC)
" The] Feigelmans initiated the broadest and most conclusive
survey data collection project regarding parent survivors. The
result is the most current and comprehensive understanding of
parent suicide survivors to date, with survivors ranging from the
newly bereaved to those whose loss was well over a decade ago. This
fact alone would ensure "Devastating Loss"'s designation as an
essential resource for mental health professionals, suicide
survivors, and grief experts around the world. However, there is
additional value in this work which is far greater than just the
data collection."--American Association of Suicidology
"In addition to tugging on my heartstrings, "Devastating Losses:
How Parents Cope with the Death of a Child to Suicide or Drugs"
captivated my clinical quest for knowledge. The authors combined
personal stories of survivors who lost children to suicide or drug
related deaths with a profundity of solid quantitative research and
clinical experience."--The Professional Counselor (TPC) Journal
"Finally, a thorough and elaborate American study has appeared
on the grief and mourning process of bereaved parents who
experienced the loss of a child to suicide or a drug
overdose."--LAVA
" This] reader experienced surprise in reading the book. It was
not surprising that these experts did a good job; after all, they
are experts writing on a topic they know well. Rather, it is the
personal element, not often seen amidst so much data. The book is
like a recipe for chicken salad that includes prunes, an unexpected
combination that works quite well."--Death Studies
"Grounded equally in solid clinical practice and uniquely
relevant research, and tragically leavened by the personal
bereavement of two of the book's authors, "Devastating Losses"
sheds new and compassionate light on the experience of a child's
death to traumatic causes." Robert A. Neimeyer, PhD Editor, Death
Studies
"The book is important for its contributions to knowledge of a
complex and illusive subject, and also-perhaps as importantly-a
model for personal growth in the context of loss through learning
and connection."--Clinical Social Work Journal
"This volume is a pioneering and long overdue work, a study not
only of grieving parents who lost a child to suicide but also of
parents whose children succumbed to drug overdoses. The authors
have done a masterful job of blending their quantitative research
findings and the anguished voices of parents attending survivor
support groups to create a rich and very engaging book." Michael F
Myers, MD
Co-Author, "Touched by Suicide: Hope and Healing after Loss"
"I recommend this book for its impressive scope of data and
thoughtful analysis. This resource will also be of value to those
coping with the devastating loss of a family member or loved one."
Edward K. (Ted) Rynearson
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Washington
Director, Violent Death Bereavement Society
Author, Retelling Violent Death, and Editor, Violent Death:
Resilience and Intervention Beyond the Crisis
This book fills a critical gap in our scientific understanding
of the grief response of parents who have lost a child to traumatic
death and the psychotherapeutic strategies that best facilitate
healing. It is based on the results of the largest study ever
conducted of parents surviving a child's traumatic death or
suicide. The book was conceived by William and Beverly Feigelman
following their own devastating loss of a son, and written from the
perspective of their experiences as both suicide-survivor support
group participants and facilitators. It intertwines data, insight,
and critical learning gathered from research with the voices of the
575 survivors who participated in the study.
The text emphasizes the sociological underpinnings of survivors'
grief and provides data that vividly documents their critical need
for emotional support. It explains how bereavement difficulties can
be exacerbated by stigmatization, and by the failure of significant
others to provide expected support. Also explored in depth are the
ways in which couples adapt to the traumatic loss of a child and
how this can bring them closer or render their relationship
irreparable. Findings suggest that with time and peer support
affiliations, most traumatically bereaved parents ultimately
demonstrate resilience and find meaningful new roles for
themselves, helping the newly bereaved or engaging in other
humanitarian acts. Key Features:
Offers researchers, clinicians, and parent-survivors current
information on how parents adapt initially and over time after the
traumatic loss of a child Presents data culled from the largest
survey ever conducted (575 individuals) of parents surviving a
child's suicide or other traumatic death Investigates the ways in
which stigmatization complicates and prolongs the grieving process
Addresses the tremendous value of support groups in the healing
process Explores how married couples are affected by the traumatic
loss of their child