When the Loss Is Not a Death

Purpose: Give a name to a loss that other people do not treat as one.

When to use: Use this for the end of a marriage, a job, a friendship, or a life you expected.

Worksheet prompts

1. What did you lose? Say it plainly, in your own words.
2. What went with it? The parts other people do not see.
   Routines, plans, people who came with it, who you were in it.
3. Has anyone treated this as a real loss? What would it mean if someone did?

You do not need anyone's permission for this to count. It already counts.