Articles by Gary Roe

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...

When Life is Full of Scary Stuff

Life is full of scary stuff. I don't like fear. In fact, I despise it. There are times when it's reasonable and appropriate - even life-saving. Most of time, however, the terrors I entertain in my brain only lock me down and keep me from engaging fully in life and...

One Powerful Lesson I’m Learning from You

Suicide seems to be everywhere. Most of us have been affected by it in some way. I'm in the process of writing a new book for those who are enduring the pain of someone they love taking their own life. Many of you are helping me with this, sharing your stories about...

5 Reasons Family Might not be Supportive

"Family has been disappointing," Aaron said. "We heard all the usual stuff. ‘We're with you. We'll be there for you. Anything you need,' and all that. Now they hardly talk to us, except to say that we should be over this by now." Aaron and his wife Stacey longed for...

5 Keys to Staying Sane While Grieving

Feel like you’re going crazy? In grief, this is a common thought (and fear). And no wonder… From the Grieving Heart: I feel confused today. One minute I'm sad, and the next I'm angry. I zone out and find myself staring at the walls. Everything seems strange, like...

5 Ways Loss Attacks Your Identity

"I'm not the same person. Neither is Dave. Who am I now? Who are we?" asked Alexandra. Alexandra and Dave's son Duke was their only child. He was a talkative kid, with an active imagination. He was the superhero of the neighborhood, with a strong preference for Batman...

4 Tips for Grieving Hearts Entering 2019

2018 was quite a year. First, there were our own personal losses. Deaths. Separations. Estrangements. Illnesses. Rejections. Crushed hopes. The list could go on and on. Then there was the world at large. Political unrest, immigration challenges, market fluctuations,...