• How can anyone cope with the death of more than one family member when those deaths occur in a short period of time?
• What happens to the person who is grieving the death of a loved one, then losses a job, and has to move from their home or apartment because of financial conditions?
• Multiple losses occur more frequently than most people realize and they can complicate the mourning process.
• To begin with, it is important to recognize that we grieve many changes in life other than the death of a loved one. The break-up of any close relationship, divorce, incarceration, geographical relocation, children going off to college, destructive fires, workplace changes, or the loss of family heirlooms can bring a strong grief reaction. In most instances, this type of loss can bring emotional responses equal to those associated with the death of a loved one.
• How can we cope with these massive changes or help someone who is experiencing more than one of these losses?

Consider the following:

• When alone in the evening, ask yourself for insights to deal with a particular problem. Then listen ever so carefully for what thoughts or images come into your mind. You inherently know what is needed better than anyone else. The trick is to tap your inner wisdom with confidence.
• To summarize, many people suffer multiple losses and the resulting bereavement overload. Although multiple losses tend to exacerbate the length and intensity of the grief process, breaking down and prioritizing where to begin coping with so many changes (both inner and outer) is the place to start.
• It is excruciating and pain-filled work, yet success in adapting to multiple changes will happen gradually. Keep your self-talk positive (we often are our own worst enemy), allow for a relapse or two, but know that you can outlast these massive changes, and get through your demanding ordeal.