After COVID-19, more attention became dedicated to mental health and the importance of it. The focus was mainly on the loneliness that became paramount due to isolation from the virus. But loneliness wasn’t the only thing impacting people’s mental health. Grief was, too. How many people were forced to say goodbye to loved ones alone? Over the course of time, grief has become its own silent pandemic. In Grief: The Silent Pandemic author Doug Lawrence shines a spotlight on grief, and steps that can be taken to help with it.
Grief: The Silent Pandemic has a cover that generates a symbolism of emptiness. An open landscape of barren ground sweeping out towards the horizon. Small sand mounds can be seen interspersed in the distance in shades of browns, yellows, and golds. A sun is setting in the distance while dark clouds sweep across the sky overhead. One section of the clouds in the left-hand corner gives the impression that a storm is potentially brewing. As if the sky will soon break open and shed tears of rain for those beloved things lost.
Grief: The Silent Pandemic begins with a foreword written by Yvonne Thevenot. In this brief forward Ms. Thevenot shares some of her thoughts in connection to author Lawrence’s book. Ms. Thevenot imparts a gentle reminder to us that grief is all too real. It has a deep impact on our lives in more ways than just the obvious. Ms. Thevenot questions about society and our approach to mental health and grief. Ms. Thevenot gives readers a foundation to give us some preparation for what we will find moving forward as we delve deeper into Grief: The Silent Pandemic.
Author Lawrence gives us readers an introduction to give us a strong foundation to build on for his novel Grief: The Silent Pandemic. He shares with us the mindset that he put himself in to write his novel – You are Not Alone. Writing this book, however, was a different experience since it is written after the loss of his wife to cancer.
In the introduction to Grief: The Silent Pandemic author Lawrence shares how he came to discover that grief is a silent pandemic in this day and age. Author Lawrence points out how we as a society put so much focus on other things thanks to COVID-19. Unfortunately, grief was not one of those subjects of focus. We made mental health a primary subject, but grief wasn’t part of that. The focus was on living and life. So, grief slipped through the cracks.
However, author Lawrence accurately points out through Grief: The Silent Pandemic that mental health and well-being have been lacking attention for years. COVID-19 just happened to shine a light that couldn’t be ignored. But grief has still managed to be ignored and pushed to the side.
As author Lawrence leads us through Grief: The Silent Pandemic we will get to delve deep into the importance of focusing on our mental health. Author Lawrence shines a spotlight on the importance of properly grieving and how we shouldn’t bottle our emotions up and away. We are encouraged to try to better understand our grief and the impact that it has on our mental health.
Grief: The Silent Pandemic is broken down into four easy to follow sections that break down the complexities and stigma of grief into easy to understand parts. Each section has bite-sized chapters that are informative without overwhelming you with information. Author Lawrence takes time to not just inform, but to expound on the information that he shares with readers.
Author Lawrence takes time to share his own personal stories and experiences with readers as they delve deeper into Grief: The Silent Pandemic. Author Lawrence also shares case studies, and other stories concerning grief and the impact that they have had on individuals lives.
Readers will appreciate how author Lawrence lays out this book. Grief: The Silent Pandemic is informative without being overly heavy. Each chapter is packed with informative information and the book flows easily and keeps readers engaged in what author Lawrence has to share. This book starts by helping readers understand grief first and foremost.
Author Lawrence lays out the various aspects of grief and how it is not as straight-forward as most of us would like to think. Grief is multi-faceted and author Lawrence takes the time to highlight this for readers in Grief: The Silent Pandemic. He shares not just how grief impacts our mental health, but how to respond to grief as well.
One thing that readers will find repeated again and again throughout this novel is the call to focus on self-care. Self-care is truly important to how we react to grief. Author Lawrence points out frequently in Grief: The Silent Pandemic that too often we put ourselves last. We force ourselves to push through the pain, the grief, and the sadness in a quest to “appear strong.” To force ourselves to either get through the grief before we’re ready or to put on a “brave face.”
Author Lawrence frequently reminds readers that it’s okay to feel sad. It’s okay to take time to work through and walk through the grief. If you need someone to talk to, there are a couple of chapters dedicated specifically to grief mentoring and how to get support to help get you through your time of grief.
Grief: The Silent Pandemic is insightful, informative, and thought-provoking. Author Lawrence will have readers rethinking how they approach grief and how we deal with it. You’ll get the sense that author Lawrence is encouraging us to make grief less of a silent pandemic and one that we consciously acknowledge.
If you are or know someone who is experiencing grief in their life right now, Grief: The Silent Pandemic is one book that you will want to have in your hands. It is packed with helpful information that readers will find to be invaluable. Author Lawrence not only shares his experience but his knowledge and what he has learned with readers.
Grief is a hard thing to go through at any age in life, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Author Lawrence states loud and clear with this book that it is time to lift the stigma surrounding grief, and bring this silent pandemic to light. Grief: The Silent Pandemic is a book that all should read because grief comes to us all. So why not be better prepared for when the moment arrives?
Pros:
- Insightful
- Informative and educational
- Easy to read and understand
- The author shares his own personal story
- Flows easily
Cons:
- None of merit
Scribble's Worth 
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