Abiding in grief: finding our humanity in love and loss

Abiding in grief: finding our humanity in love and loss

Author: Charts & Leisure August 14, 2024 Duration: 31:40

In this episode of Unravelling, Kurt interviews Dr. Drew Pate, a psychiatrist, who discusses the complex nature of grief and loss. He shares his journey into understanding grief, which began early in his career and became more personal after the losses of his father and wife. He highlights how grief is often misunderstood and pathologized in society, rather than recognized as a natural part of the human experience. The conversation delves into the importance of accepting grief, the challenges of supporting those who are grieving, and how experiences of loss can change one's perspective on life. The episode offers insights into the universal yet deeply personal experience of grief, and how to better support themselves and others through it.

Resources

If you're grieving and looking for support, Dr. Pate recommends connecting with local religious and specialty disease organizations, which often offer grief support groups. Your community hospice can be a good place to start—​many hospice programs offer grief groups or can refer you to a professional who can help. Dr. Pate also recommends the book, "Three Roads Back," which profiles three American writers and thinkers who dealt with personal tragedies early in their careers. 


There’s a thread that connects our inner lives to the culture we live in, and Unravelling pulls on it to see what emerges. This isn’t a lecture series, but a conversation guided by therapist Kurt White and journalist Mary Wilson, who bring their distinct perspectives to every discussion. They explore how mental health is woven into everything from our daily fitness routines and societal pressures to the art we consume and the relationships we keep. In each episode, you’ll hear from experts who study the mind alongside individuals sharing their personal, lived experiences, creating a dialogue that feels both intellectually rigorous and deeply human. The aim is to move beyond simple definitions, examining how anxiety, resilience, joy, and struggle shape our collective reality. Produced by Charts & Leisure, this podcast provides a space for nuance, challenging the idea that our psychological worlds exist in a vacuum. It’s for anyone who has ever felt the tension between their private thoughts and the public world, offering not easy answers but a more textured understanding. By listening, you become part of a broader exploration into how compassion, for ourselves and our society, can actually be built from a place of genuine curiosity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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