Grieving is a necessary process
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/process-of-grieving/MY02030
- With Mayo Clinic oncologist
Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
Edward Creagan, M.D.
"The magic of the electronic village is transforming health information. The mouse and keyboard have extended the stethoscope to the 500 million people now online." — Dr. Edward Creagan
The power of the medium inspires Dr. Edward Creagan as he searches for ways to share Mayo Clinic's vast resources with the general public.
Dr. Creagan, a Newark, N.J., native, is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hospice medicine and palliative care. He has been with Mayo Clinic since 1973 and in 1999 was president of the staff of Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Creagan, a professor of medical oncology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, was honored in 1995 with the John and Roma Rouse Professor of Humanism in Medicine Award and in 1992 with the Distinguished Mayo Clinician Award, Mayo's highest recognition. He has been recognized with the American Cancer Society Professorship of Clinical Oncology.
He describes his areas of special interest as "wellness as a bio-psycho-social-spiritual-financial model" and fitness, mind-body connection, aging and burnout.
Dr. Creagan has been an associate medical editor with Mayo Clinic's health information websites and has edited publications and CD-ROMs and reviewed articles.
"We the team of (the website) provide reliable, easy-to-understand health and wellness information so that each of us can have productive, meaningful lives," he says.
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Stress blog
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March 6, 2012
Grieving is a necessary process
By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
Friends, colleagues and family members can be a source of strength. A firm handshake, a hug or a pat on the back can be just the tonic for the weary soul. Let me explain.
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If the stress in your life is more than you can cope with, get help right away.
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One of our wonderful nurses in our hospice program shared an article from a scientific journal on the issue of grief. The researchers made one point crystal clear: Grief is a process. Think of grief as a moving target that you can't avoid. There's no fast forward button. There's no quick fix. There's no medication that can resolve this healing process.
Grief is normal. Grief is expected. If you don't embrace the process despite the pain and anguish, healing and transitioning to a "new normal" will never occur.
Everyone knows someone who has tried to short-circuit this process with medications, relationships or work activities. But the grief always resurfaces, often in destructive ways, such as chemical dependency or behavioral issues.
The message may be difficult to hear, but the healing process takes time and you almost always come out the other side as a more sensitive and insightful person. You can then reach out to others and share what you've learned.
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