We know that grief never really goes away, we learn to live with it and accommodate it in our lives. For some people, about 5-10%, their grief can remain very intense and cause major disruption in their lives for a prolonged period of time; years and even decades.

It is normal for grief to endure for years, but when it is debilitating and people find it impossible to readjust to the world after a loss, perhaps it is what has become known as Prolonged Grief Disorder. Here, Andy talks about how grief affected her in a debilitating way for two decades, after her husband Tom died.

From the author
My name is Andrea Gilats, and I’m the author of After Effects: A Memoir of Complicated Grief, a compelling new book published by the University of Minnesota Press. In a sentence, here is my story. After my husband died of cancer at the age of 52, I was effectively paralyzed by grief for ten long years, and I continued to live with unresolved grief for ten years after that.

Dr. Katherine Shear, founder and director of Columbia University’s Center for Prolonged Grief, has endorsed After Effects, saying that “Andrea Gilats has given us a beautifully written story of the heartbreaking problem of complicated grief.

Her detailed, honest account of almost two decades of intense suffering after the loss of her beloved life partner will help others understand that there is no shame in grieving in this way—that grief is a form of love.”

I hope you’ll find After Effects helpful in your practice. If you work with grief support groups, or if you would like to gather with colleagues for a book discussion, I would love to virtually visit your group to read from and talk about After Effects.

The attached PDF has general information about After Effects, including reviews, articles, and interviews with me. You can also find more information about After Effects, including a beautiful reading group guide, on my website.

To learn more about scheduling a virtual visit, and for information about a special discount if you and your group members order After Effects directly from the University of Minnesota Press, just reply to this email. It will be a pleasure to connect with you!