LibraryScenariosHow to mourn someone who is alive but fundamentally changed
Scenario

How to mourn someone who is alive but fundamentally changed

I'm grieving the person my brother used to be before addiction changed him completely, but he's still alive so no one understands why I feel like someone died.

Mira
Online
The coach is replying

More people experience this than they realize.

What we've seen

Addiction, mental illness, and trauma can end the person you knew while leaving their body behind, creating grief without death.

Ideas that help explain it
Worth thinking about

“Where Are You with Disenfranchised grief — when loss isn't recognized?”

If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.