Professionals Perspective by Mike McGuire, MS, LMHC, MCAP, ICADC, CRPS
McGuire Counseling and Psychotherapy
When should I seek professional help for my grief?
Losing someone to overdose is highly traumatic due to the sudden nature of the event. The effect that it has on the family and friends is unpredictable. There is no way to anticipate how someone will react after that event. Honestly, this is something that should probably always be walked through with a professional, but there are telltale signs that, if happening, make it a must. These signs include, but are certainly not limited to nightmares, flashbacks, scattered thinking or inability to concentrate, and when you are unable to preform activities of daily living (bathing, preparing food and eating, getting dressed, etc).
The biggest reason that I hear people giving as a reason to not attend therapy after a major event like this is that “it won’t bring him/her back” or “it’s not going to change anything so why bother at all?” It is important to keep in mind what licensed therapists are there to do. It is not to tell you what to do, give their opinion, or in any way tell you how to live your life. The therapist’s job is to use an evidenced-based therapeutic modality (EMDR, NARM, CBT, etc) to help you process your thoughts so that you can make the correct decisions for your life. Processing grief is a place they can be of great help.
It is important to seek out the right therapist for this. Be sure to ask if they specialize in processing grief and ask what clinical modality they use. Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a great choice, and what I recommend, but it is certainly not the only helpful modality for grief. Trauma-Focused CBT, Object Relations Therapy, and the Neuro-affective Relational Model are also great choices. As long as you get with someone who is familiar with grief processing, and you feel they are someone you are comfortable talking to-it’ll be a good fit.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline – 1-800-273-8255
Mike McGuire, MS, LMHC, MCAP, ICADC, CRPS
McGuire Counseling and Psychotherapy
(904)575-7209