Grieving the loss of a Pet
The loss of a pet can be more overwhelming than any other traumatic event in one’s life. The loss is so great that many people fall into a deep depression for long periods of time. Why is the death of a pet so devastating? The answer lies in our childhood and is outlined in my online course, “How to overcome the grief of losing a loving pet.”
Most people have grown up in homes where they didn’t always get their needs met. They may have grown up with dysfunction, alcholism, addictions, absentee parents and a slew of circumstances that give a child a sense of longing for more attention. When that happens, we grow up as needy adults. This inner void ranges from not getting enough love, attention, support and this can lead to low-self esteem and other social issues.
Now, fast forward to adulthood. That void within has to be filled in some way. I call that inner being our inner child. That inner child is always looking for ways to get their needs met. Some of us fill it with various addictions, but others fill it with the love a pet. In my own circumstances, my Siberian husky Luke was an amazing dog. I didn’t realize it, but when I was struggling emotionally with an issue, he was my buffer. He was my companion on walks. We watched television together and he loved me unconditionally. He was filling that void with my inner child just by being this amazing loving dog. When he died, I experienced the most devastating pain I ever had in my life. You see, when Luke died part of my inner child died and I was reliving my childhood trauma’s, which was basically being a middle child and not getting all the love, support and nurturing a child needs for development. His death also brought up a childhood memory of when my grandmother died. Out of left field there was more grief hitting me in addition to Luke dying. My inner child was in turmoil, reliving my grandmothers death and also part of my inner child died when my best friend Luke died. All the love and support and friendship Luke gave me was now gone. This is why the pain is so unbearable.
In my online course, I will show you ways to come to terms with the death of your pet and to show you how to fill that void within. You can find this online course on my “events” page.