Articles by Gary Roe

7 Facts about Grief We Can’t Afford to Forget

Grief is deeply personal and individual. Every relationship and loss are unique. We can feel unhinged, adrift, or like we’re in a free fall. We think we’re better and then we get surprised, again. From the Grieving Heart I thought I was a little better, but I guess...

5 Key Truths about Anxiety and Depression

"I have panic attacks. They come out of nowhere. Now I walk around anxious, waiting for the next attack to descend. It's like being in a war," Patty said. "I get anxious, then depressed about being anxious, and then anxious about being depressed,” Dave chimed in....

Where Did Everyone Go?

In times of loss, people seem to disappear. We can wonder, "Where did everyone go?" From the Grieving Heart: This would be easier if it weren't for the people around me. At least, that's the way it feels. Right after you left, people were everywhere. Tears. Hugs....

Saving Lives and Giving Hope

Over the past three years, I have personally encountered suicide more than a dozen times. As many of you know, I began this year with research for writing a book to help those who have experienced someone they care about taking their own life. As I collected and read...

5 Truths about Grief, Sleep, and Dreams

In grief, sleep patterns often change. Many have dreams of their loved one. We wonder what they mean. We wonder about a lot of things… From the Grieving Heart: Last night, I dreamed of you. We were walking through a meadow. A gentle breeze was blowing. Flowers were...

Surely Someone Could Have Done Something

When we lose a loved one, our hearts ache. They writhe in pain. Eventually, we can emerge angry, wondering who's responsible for this. From the Grieving Heart: Today, I'm feeling angry. Surely someone could have done something. I mean, this didn't have to happen, did...

What To Do When You Feel Invisible

Many of us feel invisible, especially when we're grieving. When I was a kid, invisibility was the superpower I dreamed of possessing. A traumatic childhood played a large role in this. If I was invisible, I could go unnoticed and escape some of the pain of life. This...

When Anxiety Strikes…

I recently woke up in the middle of the night in a panic - sweating, heart racing. I quickly got up and began pacing. I had felt this before, many times. I was having an anxiety attack. Over the years I've learned that I don't need a trigger to be hijacked by anxiety....

When We’re Hard on Ourselves (Even When We’re Hurting)

Patience. I seem to struggle with that. I guess that's not surprising. I live in a world where I can google "repairs" and get over 3 billion results in 0.76 seconds. Daily life moves at warp speed. Everything seems to be changing all the time. The pace is...

When Life, and Grief, Become a Treadmill

Life, and grief, can become a treadmill. When I was 12, I had a gerbil named Ralph. He was an interesting, good-natured, and incredibly energetic creature. Confined to a small life in a cage, Ralph ran. And he ran, and ran, and ran. Around and around in...