Teens lose identity, dependence, and the security of childhood. Young adults lose their parental home when they go to college or marry. Middle-aged people lose dreams and children who leave the nest. Older people lose health, independence, mobility, friends, and future. Loss is an integral part of life.
Some losses are necessary.
Some losses are sudden and devastating. All loss makes its impact on the individual and on the family system. During our time together we will look at loss, typical reactions to loss, how we can make adjusting to loss easier, how and why loss changes us permanently, and changes in the marriage relationship during acute grief. The Broad Spectrum of Loss All of you in this group have experienced loss of some type. In order to show that loss encompasses much more than death and divorce, let's make a list of the losses we are apt to encounter.