In person grief support group
Hello fellow parents,
My best friend of 30 years is currently on life support with a very poor prognosis. She's experiencing multiple organ failure after decades of substance misuse. She was the truest, most loyal friend anyone could ask for, and she will be leaving behind three teenage sons.
I’m 45 and have never lost someone close to me. While I do have a wonderful therapist and an incredibly loving husband, I’m also an external processor and would really benefit from an in-person grief support group.
If you know of any local resources or groups that might help me navigate this loss, I would be so grateful. Thank you in advance for any thoughts, or suggestions. I’m also open to starting a group if others are looking for the same thing and haven’t found it.
Parent Replies
I'm so sorry you are going through this loss. For in-person grief groups, I recommend checking out Crisis Service: https://www.crisissupport.org/programs/support-groups/ and Hospice of the East Bay: https://www.hospiceeastbay.org/services/grief-support/.
Without knowing where you are located geographically, it’s difficult for me to make specific recommendations. But my general recommendation is this - call your local hospice organization. Every hospice program offers bereavement support, and you rarely need to have been affiliated with the hospice organization in order to participate. They will also likely have a list of local groups and contact numbers. Wishing you peace in your grief.
I'm sorry to hear that you are going through this. When my father passed last year, I participated in the support groups through Alameda Crisis Support Services. I would highly recommend taking advantage of their support offerings and resources.
https://www.crisissupport.org/programs/support-groups/
Hi, I'm sorry for your anticipated loss. I, too, lost someone very close to me for the first time when I was your age a couple yrs ago, so I feel your pain. I found two grief support groups when I researched it to find something. One was called GriefShare and it is a Christian-based program that has local groups usually hosted by churches, some in person and some virtual. The other is East Bay Hospice which did only virtual groups, but that was a couple years ago so may have changed. I hope you find something that works for you and helps you work through it.