Addressing Grief and Loss through the Continuum of Care: A Focus on Patient Experiences and Professional Practices

Abstract

Grief and loss are universal parts of the human experience. They are also some of the most profound experiences that a human being encounters in life. In addiction treatment, grief and loss must be addressed in order for an individual to successfully journey into recovery. In recovery, individuals must have the skills to cope with grief and loss to successfully maintain their sobriety when life happens. Integrated grief and loss is the ultimate objective. Treatment should focus on “stuck points” without pathologizing the individual’s experience. This presentation is the beginning of a discussion about best practices when addressing grief and loss in addiction treatment and the types of interventions that have proven most successful.