Edit Update: Thank you all for coming to my AMA, for asking questions, for sharing, and for reading. I wish you all a sense of peace in your hearts, hope when it feels hard to imagine the next steps of your future, and an ability to remember with more love than pain.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at https://www.cheriegustafsonlcpc.com/

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In the wake and continuation of Hurricane Ian, there are millions of people impacted directly, and many more bracing for impact. Many people are missing, many have lost loves ones or cannot locate them, and the death count is most certainly going to rise.

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There are also many more who are impacted indirectly. I myself was sitting on Fort Myers Beach with my mother just seven months ago, after having lunch at a restaurant that is no longer there, directly next to the famous pier that is now mere remnants. We had ice cream in Times Square. I bought souvenirs for my children in the shops. My mom has wintered in Fort Myers Beach for 25 years, and had hoped to return this winter. I have friends and family with homes or at college on the east coast of Florida. There is rampant and profound shock and grief within Florida and far beyond.

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Everyone understands grief as a natural response to a death, but grief can also be experienced after many other kinds of loss as well, such as the loss of a home, a community, a job, a relationship (marriage, friendship, family estrangement), one’s physical health, empty nesting, the death of a pet, and even a shift in religious or spiritual beliefs.

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Some important things to remember:

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• All losses are important, and all grieving is unique.
• Your grief is YOURS, and no two people’s experiences are exactly the same.
• Just because someone else “had it worse” doesn’t mean that yours is not painful and important. 

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My heart and love and best wishes go out to any and all who are grieving any kind of a loss today.

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Ask me anything.

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Proof: https://imgur.com/Bvi7oKQ

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Disclaimer: While I am honored to provide general information and support about grief and to people who are grieving, this is not a substitute for therapy.

Safety: If you are experiencing any safety concerns about yourself or others, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 988 or go to your local emergency room.