Supporting People Bereaved Through A Drug Or Alcohol Related Death

This pioneering book provides guidance for those helping bereaved adults through the process of grieving loved ones who died as a result of substance use. People bereaved in this manner require very specific support through these unique circumstances, and this book contains contributions from a range of leading experts in the field on how to help people bereaved in this way, with examples of good practice. It combines theory, research and practice in a straightforward and untechnical way, clearly describing the complex, severe nature of these bereavements and how to support bereaved people through this complex grieving process. The book also explains bereavement, substance use and how addictive substance use can affect a family, and provides comprehensive case studies that illustrate how to support and counsel. Rooted in specialist professional experience, this is the indispensable guide for all those whose work involves supporting these bereaved people, as well as being of interest to those bereaved this way and their family, friends and colleagues who may be supporting them.

Individuals bereaved by the drug- or alcohol-related death of a family member represent a sizeable group worldwide. Families Bereaved by Alcohol or Drugs is the long-awaited result of an important and ambitious research project into the experiences commonly encountered by members of this stigmatized and vulnerable group. Based on focus groups with the practitioners and service personnel who support grieving relatives following the loss of a loved one to alcohol or drugs, as well as interviews with the largest qualitative sample of adults bereaved by substance use that has been reported to date, this much-needed contribution to research on addiction and bereavement identifies four major reasons why grief following this tragic kind of death is particularly difficult. By examining the experiences of a wide range of stakeholders, including practitioners and policymakers in health, social care and the criminal justice system, the research contained within this book underscores the large number of organizations that play a role in the implementation of official procedure following a drug- or alcohol-related death and identifies significant gaps in the system that bereaved individuals must negotiate. Grounded in extensive and rigorous academic research, Families Bereaved by Alcohol or Drugs is essential reading for academics, researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of mental health and addiction, social work and social studies, psychology, family studies and bereavement. The book should also be of interest to anyone with a professional interest in bereavement or substance use.

This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of drug-related death bereavement to increase understanding and help direct scientific research, with contributions from across the globe. It is the first comprehensive, cross-cultural, multidisciplinary review of research on drug-related death (DRD)bereavement. Chapters cover the impact of DRD at individual, family, cultural, and societal levels, and topics include working with, and social support for, families following drug-related loss, understanding grief processes of individuals, drug policy, and the importance of cultural contexts. The book also elaborates on methodological issues when researching DRD. This handbook will increase understanding of DRD bereavement and contribute to support for DRD bereaved persons and those who care for them professionally and personally. It is essential reading for professionals and academics in the field as well as anyone affected by DRD.

Subject: When a loved one dies, the pain of loss can feel unbearable, especially in the case of a traumatizing death that leaves us shouting, 'NO!' with every fiber of our body. The process of grieving can feel wild and nonlinear and often lasts for much longer than other people, the nonbereaved, tell us it should. This book is a companion for life and most difficult times, revealing how grief can open our hearts to connection, compassion, and the very essence of our shared humanity. The author, who is also a bereavement educator, researcher, Zen priest, and leading counselor in the field accompanies the reader along the heartbreaking path of love, loss, and grief. Through moving stories of her encounters with grief over decades of supporting individuals, families, and communities, as well as her own experience with loss, the author opens a space to process, integrate, and deeply honor our grief

"The book is well organized, well detailed, and well referenced; it is an invaluable sourcebook for researchers and clinicians working in the area of bereavement. For those with limited knowledge about bereavement, this volume provides an excellent introduction to the field and should be of use to students as well as to professionals," states Contemporary Psychology. The Lancet comments that this book "makes good and compelling reading....It was mandated to address three questions: what is known about the health consequences of bereavement; what further research would be important and promising; and whether there are preventive interventions that should either be widely adopted or further tested to evaluate their efficacy. The writers have fulfilled this mandate well."

i newspaper 'What We're Reading This Week' December 2017 'Elizabeth's courage in speaking out is moving, and her ability to move others is impressive. This is a story that needs to be told, and needs to be heard.' - Theresa May, Prime Minister 'Elizabeth [is] someone who had the courage to tell her family's story and to challenge attitudes. Elizabeth has already made a difference and I am sure that all those who read this book will be both challenged and inspired.' - Chief Constable Sara Thornton, National Police Chiefs' Council 'I cannot praise this book highly enough . . . Born out of personal pain and tragedy, this story will lead you to the birth of DrugFAM . . . It is truly inspiring and wonderful what has been and continues to be achieved through this story.' - Sir Anthony Seldon, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham 'I would urge all parents, teachers and pupils to read this heart-rending book.' - FT Magazine 'A book that is moving and ultimately, inspiring.' - Waterstones Books Quarterly Elizabeth Burton Phillips was a teacher, an ordinary mother who had always tried to do the best for her children; she never imagined that her identical twin sons, who had been doing so well at school, would become involved in drugs. She was shocked when they were suspended from school for smoking cannabis; but this was just the start of a terrible descent into personal and family heartbreak. The painful journey ended in the way Elizabeth had always dreaded - a knock on the door in the middle of the night by the police. They gave her the devastating news that her son Nick had killed himself in despair at his heroin addiction. Since his death, Elizabeth has campaigned tirelessly to make parents aware of the pain and suffering caused to families by drug addiction; and her surviving twin, Simon, now drug-free, has contributed his own thoughts to this inspiring and gut-wrenching story that will shake every reader to the core. This new edition brings Elizabeth's story up to date, sharing the inspiring achievements of the author - awarded an MBE in the Queen's 2017 Honours List - and her charity DrugFAM, giving hope to families impacted by addiction.

What difference does culture make? Coping with Alcohol and Drug Problems: The Experiences of Family Members in Three Contrasting Cultures aims to deepen and extend understanding of the experiences of family members trying to cope with the excessive drinking or drug taking of a relative. Comprehensive and thoroughly up to date, this book draws on the results of the cross-cultural study of alcohol and drug problems in the family, and places these results within the broader context of the international literature on the subject. By investigating the similarities and differences in the experiences of family members in three parts of the world, the authors reveal results which have far-reaching implications for professional intervention and prevention. Subjects covered include: models of understanding: how families continue to be pathologised and misunderstood. how family members cope. an integrated view of alcohol and drug problems in the family. ways of empowering family members. This book aims to demonstrate the possibility of a constructive alliance between professionals, substance misusing relatives, and the affected family members by thoroughly investigating the dilemmas that face family members and the lack of support they experience. This fascinating insight into the impact of alcohol and drug problems on family members will be a valuable resource for all those who are interested in substance misuse in family and cultural contexts, and particularly those who are interested in the treatment of alcohol and other drug problems.

Understanding loss and its effects is integral to effective counseling and support in the treatment of grief. This book is both a guide to the key theories of bereavement, and a practical workbook that can be used with clients to help them understand and work through their grief in a positive, transformative way. Divided into two parts, the first section presents current models of grief used by thanatologists, and advice on when to apply them, these models provide a springboard to deepen the conversation with clients, allowing them to discover insights, consider memories and express their pain. In the second part of the book, creative exercises encourage clients to engage with their stories and actively apply their discoveries to their own healing. Offering a straightforward guide to bereavement models and therapeutic approaches, with photocopiable exercises and worksheets, The Creative Toolkit for Working with Grief and Bereavement is a valuable resource for information on grief and how to help grieving clients, and an invitation to explore creative possibilities for healing.