By Hazel Bridges No matter what age you are, losing a spouse is a devastating life-moment. It can be difficult to watch your senior loved one go through this emotional process. Sorting through all the details following a loss can be a long, drawn-out process. Most times, the person is completely drained by the time the funeral begins. Here are some ways that you can be there to support your loved one and help them through this difficult time. What to Do in the Immediate Aftermath of LossThe moments following loss are perhaps the most volatile for your loved one. There’s really no way to predict how they may handle the situation, but you can expect that the loss will deeply and profoundly affect them. Your first priority should always be to make sure they are okay and blanket them with your love and support. Sometimes it can feel like time...

Written By Jenna Bonstein, Wellspring Preventionist August 31st is Overdose Awareness Day, an international day designated to acknowledge the many lives we as a nation lost to premature deaths from drugs, the majority of which are attributable to the use of opioids – most of them avoidable. On this emotional day, many families, friends gather together to support one another and share their personal struggles from grief and pain of losing a loved one to an overdose. This occasion gives people the opportunity to share their memories, bringing an empathic heart, knowing what it’s like. There is a strong presence of both grief and hope that fills the atmosphere on this night as many towns participate in a candlelight vigil and memorial service. Personally, I lost a good friend to an overdose back in 2011, and ever since every year I lose more friends and attend more funerals. I am fed...