Glimpsing The Meaning of Life
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Posted by Lisa C. DeLuca Oct 13, 2008 |
In addition to treating panic disorder in my psychotherapy practice, and working with families and individuals on their life journeys, I have the privilege of working with family caregivers who are caring for loved ones at the end of life.
Witnessing the end of life process alongside these caregivers has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It astounds me that we are so protected from aging, death and dying in our culture, that most people will never be exposed to the valuable lessons to be learned about life from this perspective. As Dr. Melvin Morse, a near death experience researcher pointed out, we all know how we are born but none of us know how we die.
How have we let this happen? The truth is that we cannot insulate ourselves from death, no matter how much we try to deny its existence. What is most important to people at the end of their lives? Why are we here? What do people regret at the end of life? What happens after death?
These topics fascinate me because they inform us how to live. I've shared some of what I've learned in this aticle. Related articles are in the "Hospices" category of the "Caregiver Support" topic and are related to caring for people who are dying, including how to talk to a dying person.
More of my caregiver support articles are here:
How to Prevent Caregiver Holiday Blues
How to Prevent Caregiver Christmas Depression
What Family Caregivers Need: How to Tell Friends How to Help
How to Ask for Help from Family and Get it
The Elder Care Challenge: Accepting Help
Lessen Caregiver Burden by Getting Help
Crisis Mode & Caregiver Stress: Prevent Burnout
Stress Management for Caregivers
Two Simple Ways to Ease Caregiver Depression
These articles and others I've written here are dedicated to all of the brave caregivers who have given me the privilege of walking alongside them and witnessing their late life journeys.
Please contact me or add a comment to the articles if you have questions.