Surviving the Death of a Sibling: Living Through Grief When an Adult Brother or Sister Dies

by T.J. Wray

Losing a sibling, then, destroys the illusion of permanence in a more profound way than most other deaths.

Another factor that may contribute to your depression is the number of previous losses you've endured. Depending upon your age, you may have already lost one or both parents,

You may barely begin to recover from one loss before you're forced to deal with another.

I don't know why some people suffer more loss, more death, and more than their share of heartache. I don't know how some people are able to go on in the face of such overwhelming tragedy, but most do.

But how could they understand? Lori [age 31] was the only person I could tell anything to. She was my best friend. Every time something good or something bad happened, I would pick up the phone and tell her. I can't do that anymore. I still feel very alone, like a part of me died and will never return.

I joined a grief support group. Didn't think it helped much except it was a place that allowed me to talk about Gail [age 40]. I didn't want to keep bothering my friends and family, although they tried to be supportive. —HARRI, 50