The full impact of grief group series starts Jan. 29

PLYMOUTH — Bereavement is often associated with a personal experience of death. The word, however, is actually connected with the adjective bereft, which means deprived of, or left without, so may refer to any experience of loss, whether small or great, temporary or permanent. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, a pioneer in the field of death and dying, frequently said, "All of life is loss." People experience loss on many levels.

When someone experiences the death of a loved one, is the victim of a crime or a natural disaster, or loses a job, or comes to terms with the loss of independence through illness or aging, they are in a state of bereavement, whether conscious of and accepting of it, or not. Kubler-Ross also used the word "denial" to describe the experience of avoiding recognizing the loss, as a defense against feelings of powerlessness in not knowing how to handle the change. Some people decide to "soldier on" or "return to business as usual." Loss has effects in everyone's lives, touching emotions, physical health, material and financial security, social interactions and relationships, occupational and recreational involvements, and spirituality or life-direction. These effects can be uncomfortable, stressful, or even debilitating.

Beginning Monday, Feb. 3, Pemi-Baker Community Health will be offering a new bereavement group series, The Full Impact of Grief. Each session will look at a particular aspect of life to gain a greater understanding of how loss affects it. The group will explore ways to process responses and reactions. The series will meet in the Grady Conference Room at Speare Memorial Hospital, 12:30-2 p.m., weekly through Monday, March 16. There is no fee for attendance.

Pemi-Baker Community Health will also resume the monthly Drop-In Bereavement Group which meets the last Wednesday of each month in the Main Conference Room at Pemi-Bakerr. The informal group has no set curriculum or topics. Reading materials are available. The first session is Wednesday, Jan. 29, 5:30-7 p.m. There is no fee for attendance.

Both groups are facilitated by Guy Tillson, MDiv, MA, bereavement counselor and hospice spiritual counselor for Pemi-Baker Community Health. Contact him at gtillson@pbhha.org or at 603-536-2232, ext. 206.

Pemi-Baker Community Health is at 101 Boulder Point Drive, Suite 3. For more information, call 603-536-2232, email info@pbhha.org, or visit pbhha.org.