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Bridget Park: How to Comfort a Grieving Teen

How to Comfort a Grieving Teen, is presented by author Bridget Park, at the University of Nevada, on February 1, 2014. Bridget Park lost her brother at a young age as a result of suicide. She explains what went wrong right after the death of her beloved brother, at which time she was almost a teenager.

What she tries to convey in this talk is the way people reacted to her emotions after her brother’s demise, which made her feel even worse, instead of feeling better. She says “Do you know, most of what people say to someone who is grieving isn’t comforting at all?”  According to her, society does not know the proper way to look after or comfort a teenager, and talks about what might actually have made her feel better if people spoke to her differently, or acted differently around her. “Ask me what I was doing that weekend and just treat me like a normal person, and tell me you are there for me, that would make me feel better.”

If you really want to make a difference and help out such grieving children, there are a lot of websites and articles on the internet that show you ways in which we should take care of children, such as step by step instructions of helping a grieving teen.

A child should not be grieving alone, and due to this big problem today, New Hope for Kids helps out such children in need and those that are ill. To learn more about New Hope for Kids and the grief support services that they have, visit New Hope For Kids.

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Marieke Poelmann Explains How to Find the Will to Live After Grieving The Loss of her Parents on her TED talk Everything Around Them is Still There, Dealing with Sudden Loss.

Utrecht, Netherlands (Feb, 2016) – Marieke Poelmann discusses how she has learned to cope with grief after the loss of her parents, all while becoming a stronger person. 

According to grief.com: Loss is a fact of life, and so are the reactions that follow, but the grief that accompanies significant loss is frequently misunderstood. Poelmann explains how she “felt cursed and destined for misery,” after both her parents died in a plane crash in Tripoli when she was twenty-two-years old. 

“In the end we are all going to experience loss. Everybody is going to lose their parents someday. For me, it just happened way to soon and in a very violent way. Because of that, there are a few things I had to learn in the hard way. You are so much stronger than you think, even if it feels hopeless.” 

After the loss of her parents, Poelmann chose to live her own life feeling what she described as a “huge power” and sense of “responsibility.” The author encourages people to believe in their strength, not rely on plans and expectations, and never let sad experiences in life define them through her book Everything Around Them is Still There, Dealing With Sudden Loss. Poelmann explains how she “couldn’t give up” and that she “did things she never imagined she could.” She encourages people to move forward by using their hidden inner strength as a tool following the loss of a loved one. 

For more information on how to deal with feelings of grief and loss visit New Hope for Kids

Continue ReadingMarieke Poelmann Explains How to Find the Will to Live After Grieving The Loss of her Parents on her TED talk Everything Around Them is Still There, Dealing with Sudden Loss.

A Videogame to Cope With the Loss of a Loved One

Award-winning game developer Amy Green spoke at a TEDNYC Conference, February 2017. Green shared how developing That Dragon, Cancer helped her family heal after the loss of her youngest son, Joel Green, to terminal brain cancer.

Green, along with her husband and a group of committed developers, created a videogame titled That Dragon, Cancer. The game is inspired by the experiences and feelings of the Greens, and it takes players on a metaphorical journey of their doubts, fears, and hopes during their son’s battle against terminal brain cancer. This game not only shares what the Greens experienced, but also puts players in the Greens’ shoes as they attempted to fight an unwinnable battle.

“Playing the game is a mercy to anyone who has ever lost someone dear to them.” – thinkChristian

“That Dragon, Cancer is both a moving tribute to their son Joel and a confessional of sorts for a pair who have experienced the most heartbreaking of human tragedies.” – IGN

Video games are increasingly being utilized to help those who grieve. Results from a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania in collaboration with SupperBetter Labs show that after a six-week period, participants who played the mobile game Super-Better have on averaged eliminated six symptoms of depression. 

For more information about grief support services in central Florida, or how to support kids dealing with the loss of a loved one, please visit the New Hope for Kids website. New Hope For Kids’ purpose is to bring hope, healing and happiness to children and families suffering from grief.

Continue ReadingA Videogame to Cope With the Loss of a Loved One