Someone asks, “Do you have children?” and suddenly you are standing at a crossroads between politeness and truth. That is where this conversation begins: a party, two strangers, and the quiet moment when we both admit our children took their own lives. My guest, Claire Greenland, speaks with disarming clarity about suicide bereavement, child loss, and what it takes to stay human when the room does not know what to do with your grief.
We dig into the part people rarely prepare you for: not only your own pain, but the faces, comments, predictions, and judgements that come with it. Claire shares why she went dancing just four days after her son died, how authenticity can shock people, and why grief does not get “better or worse” so much as arrive in waves. We talk about practices that keep us connected to life, including meditation, qigong, and good psychotherapy, plus the importance of protecting yourself from spaces that flatten your natural process.
We also explore death denial, the stigma that still surrounds suicide, and why language matters, including moving away from “committing suicide”. From mosaics to planting oak trees, we look at rituals that help love stay present, and how approaches like EMDR can ease guilt and support a continuing bond with the child who has died. If you have ever felt pressure to grieve the “right” way, this is a steadier, more compassionate alternative.
If this resonates, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people living with grief can find these conversations.
Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör
Malcolm Stern. Innehållet i podden är skapat av Malcolm Stern och inte av,
eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.
