August
15th 1997
National Loss and Grief Awareness Week August 24th — 30th
It’s the emptiness...you’ve got a view of yourself
which is like a finished fabric and there’s this huge great hole (Cathy)
Cathy Harbison, a single mother of four, lost her oldest child Debbie
(17) in a horrific car accident. Cathy’s hair began to fall
out afterwards and her sleep patterns became disturbed. Cathy has
made herself available to be interviewed by media throughout this
week. She is an articulate speaker who cogently expresses the response
to sudden death, how other peoples responses assisted in her process
of recovery, the experience of grief, how she handles anniversaries
and special dates and her regrets and unfinished business.
Cathy appeared in a videotape entitled Hard Medicine: A Journey
in Adult Grief a 40-minute documentary produced by the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement that takes the viewer on a journey through grief
in the lives of four Australians. I have enclosed a copy of the video
for your information.
Bereavement is an experience which, sooner or later, affects us all.
It can take a long time to come to terms with the death of someone
close in our lives. It can also be difficult to know how to help
a bereaved person in pain. Research demonstrates that, compared to
non-bereaved people, the bereaved show higher rates of mortality,
suicide, anxiety, depression and other health problems. Although
the intense pain of loss cannot be taken away, these health risks
can be significantly reduced by effective social support.
Loss and Grief Awareness Week is a time set aside to raise awareness
and provide opportunities for reflection on the many grief experiences
that can leave people feeling sad, confused and isolated. Many such
experiences go unrecognised which adds to an already difficult and
often distressing time.
For further information and to arrange interviews contact:
Chris Hall
Director
Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement
Monash Medical Centre
CLAYTON SOUTH VIC 3169
Telephone (03) 9545 6377 or mobile 0419 381 377 or AH (03) 9754 4402
Facsimile (03) 9545 6399 E-mail info@grief.org.au.
