Kintsugi helped me to understand my brother’s death
The Japanese artform, based on a belief that a repaired pot can be stronger, taught me about tragedy and the ability to overcome it
‘I see human resilience every single day’: people in tough jobs on how to stay hopeful
A hospice nurse, bereavement counsellor, firefighter, climate change lecturer and social worker share their secrets
The lockdown life-changers: six people on their 2020 transformations – from giving up gambling to getting fit
This year’s isolation has been painful, but in some cases it has also provided a valuable chance to pause, reflect and take decisions that seemed unthinkable before. Here, six readers describe how lockdown inspired them to turn their lives around
I’m a psychotherapist, but therapy didn’t ease my grief
A sudden bereavement tore my life apart. But even though I’m a trained therapist, I couldn’t find comfort on the couch
‘I knew my son’s heart was out there’: why the families of organ donors would love a thank you
Liz Houghton’s son was 20 when he died, and his organs were donated to 12 people. She heard from two of them, but would love to have been in touch with more. Could a new initiative help relatives like her?
When my cousin was dying of a brain tumour in her 20s I promised I’d look out for her son
Over the past decade I’ve watched a young boy grow up and become a daily reminder to me of just how proud his mother would have been
Born sleeping: how I grieved for the much-loved daughter I lost before her birth
The loss of a baby at almost six months pregnant brought special challenges, including the trauma of giving birth – and it didn’t help that the subject is so rarely discussed
‘My mother-in-law called me Walter White’: how magic mushrooms rescued me from grief
After our daughter’s death I was overwhelmed by pain and anxiety. Microdosing home-grown mushrooms helped me cope
When my mother died, I inherited her best friend – and she became family
I was in a horrible, frightening place after the death of my mum. Then Les arrived and the fog began to lift
Jayson Greene: ‘Trauma is a rip in your understanding of the universe’
Former Pitchfork editor Jayson Greene explains how, after the sudden death of his two-year-old daughter, writing proved the best therapy. Read an extract from his new book below