Grief Archives - Deb Sheppard

Ask Deb Anything- Your Questions Answered

Posted on March 19, 2021March 21, 2021 by Deb Sheppard

I’ve been asked 1000’s of questions. Not one is weird, strange or insignificant. They all have meaning and I know there is desire to understand the unknown. Humans are seekers and especially after a significant loss we have so many unanswered questions.

I’m honored to provide my perspective and experiences from my journey so far. It doesn’t mean it’s the only truth or the only answer. I love providing my insight to anyone who is curious.

First question that is always asked. “Are they okay?”

My answer is 100% YES. I joke that there is no taxes or dieting, so it must be heaven but with humor aside, our loved ones do not take with them the pain and struggles they endured while experiencing life on earth.

Know that we are all living our human experience here and when we cross over we are not the same. We gain a new understanding. Their personalities will come through as you remember them, however if they were cruel or not a good person, that will have changed. They may perhaps, apologize for their behavior. They don’t carry the anger and sadness that they experienced here on earth, but they remember and will talk to you about this experience.

I have said over the years, being a messenger is an honor and while my clients are grieving it would be difficult if those in the afterlife were grieving as well. For me, it would take a lot of energy to manage. Your loved ones whether you had a positive or negative relationship will provide insight into your relationship, but they do not carry the hardships they had before crossing over.

Many times, I find they are having a party with other loved ones whom they have met, including beloved pets and ancestors. We are the ones missing them but they are still with us and are finding new experiences on the other side.

Are they with me all the time?

Well, I hope not! Like those experiencing life on earth, we are not with our loved ones or our community 24/7. That would actually make us a little nuts. We need to have our alone time.

Since we miss them, we have a desire to know they are around us. Know that they certainly are with you and see what you are going through. When I’m doing a session and the loved one talks about odd things such as plumbing issues, career changes and family concerns it’s because they are seeing what is going on in your life and they want you to know they support you.

They enjoy sharing about trips you have taken or are about to take, new babies and accomplishments. Many times, they will discuss health concerns or someone in the family that has been difficult.

These explanations are evidence that they know and see what is happening in your family. They are aware of your life, the ups and downs that we each live through. Many times, they will visit me before your session. They love making themselves known especially if they had a lot of personality.

How do I know they are visiting me?

They visit you and show you signs. What stops this connection is our busy lives and our grief. If we slow down and just be quiet and still we will notice them. This is what I desire for each of my clients who would like to connect with their loved ones. The experiences are gentle most of the time. Giving small indications that they are around. It’s normally not a big “ahha” that must be my mom. It’s more of a quiet awareness that is felt or heard. This is why so many that do feel their loved ones, feel as if they are making it up or just wanting it to be real. I would suggest that most of the time when you are feeling your imagination at work, it’s truly is your loved one.

How I Connect with Your Loved One

When I connect with your loved one I must trust what I am receiving and I am 100% in the moment. It comes from my right brain or creative side, I lose all analytical insight. I take all of this information they share with me and interpret what spirit is saying to me. It takes a lot of energy for your loved one to connect with the earthly realm, so I as a medium raise my energy to make the connection easier for them and I.

I am an empath and have the ability to use all 6 of my senses or all my Clairs. They “tap in” to all of my senses. I hear, see, smell, taste, feel and see a bit of a movie in my third eye to translate a message. Over the years, I’ve built my own vocabulary that they use to show me things about them. For example, if I see a newspaper unfolded it means to me this person was well read and they wanted to know what was going on in the world. A railroad or train either means they lived on a train or their name is Robert, Bob or James.

Sometimes, I will feel the pain of how they passed worthier illiness. Many times, I will cough if they passed from lung disease, hanging or a drowning. Not always fun, but it’s their way of letting me know what happened to them. Taste is always interesting. If they drank scotch, vodka or beer they may make me taste these things. They may show me what their favorite food was or what they ate before they passed can be presented as well. If you snuck them pie or chocolate as a treat while they were ill, I get to taste it too.

This does become a little exhausting for me, and to manage this I have learned to turn it off when I’m not being a messenger. I need earth time to feel grounded and be in my human suit.

Some of the Things They Can Do

These are just some of the ways a loved one can show they are with you. They love messing with our electrical items, such as phones, computers and light bulbs. Several times they have turned on my TV around 2 am to say, I’m here.

These are just a few questions you may have and if you want to hear more you can connect with my latest podcast on Spirited Straight Talk where I talk about these things and more of your most wanted answers.

Namasté

Deb Sheppard

7 Things To Help Manage Your Grief

Posted on April 17, 2020March 20, 2021 by Deb Sheppard

Grief takes so many different forms. It can be the loss of a loved one in the past or losing someone right now. It is not always this loss of a loved one. Grief is also any change that we experience throughout our lives. With our current world situation, we are ALL dealing with some sort of loss. Since we are facing a changing future, stress and fear can be at the forefront of our daily lives and this can create grief and sadness that may be difficult to manage. Especially, if we are alone or feeling the pressures of taking care of others.

During this pandemic so many of us are at a time where we are unable to say goodbye to our loved ones. The medical community is trying to find ways to help such as facetime but for many this isn’t enough. We want to comfort our loved one and are unable to which is somewhat unprecedented. The first question you may have is “Are they ok that I wasn’t able to be with them during their transition?” The answer is always yes. We believe we need to be with them to comfort them during such a difficult time. They are ok, they know you love them, and this is an unusual time.

If you have recently lost someone and want to communicate your feelings write to them, share all the good times and what you will miss. Keep good memories of them in your thoughts to have them in your heart. Share stories about your loved ones with friends and allow them to share about theirs. Look at photos and videos and recall some of your favorite times. If you have traditions or rituals that you have passed down from generations to generations, remember these things and bring them out. Be creative if you are unable to provide the things that you would normally have for these celebrations.

Most importantly ask for help and know that during this time it’s essential to not travel on this journey alone. Asking for support also helps others to feel they are making a difference. We are all in this together.

We can manage grief, but it’s a sneaky thing. It comes when you’re not expecting it and you may not have any idea that it was going to show up. Even positive changes can bring about a little grief that surprises us. Grief has its own identity which means it looks different for everyone. No one grieves the same or for the same reasons. This is why no one can tell you how to grieve or when it should be over. Experts, like me can give suggestions and tools to manage it but this is a personal journey and it is just yours.

I have helped so many people find the tools they need to manage and cope with their losses. The losses experienced could be a divorce, job loss, children moving out, an illness, aging and of course the loss of a loved one. I’m sure I haven’t seen it all and there have been times with clients that I have wondered “how is this individual still living through their life journey”. Their courage has inspired me and at the same time made me realize how blessed I am. There is always someone out there with a much more difficult story than our own.

This isn’t to minimalize anyone’s circumstances, but when we hear someone else’s experiences it can make us grateful for our own story. It may show us that we can heal perhaps because our own story is manageable.

Sometimes grief has a deeper meaning because we are not just grieving the current situation, we are also grieving our past or something from our past. Sometimes, our grief wasn’t healed or managed, so when we are at a point that grief seems to be unmanageable, it can often be because of the previous layers of grief that we didn’t address, and this can even go back to our childhood.

However, we can heal the past to get to our current situation for healing. It may take some time and some inner strength, but it is possible. You are not a pioneer in this situation and there are hundreds of ways to get to the root of the pain and to understand tools to heal and feel that life is manageable.

Grief can make you feel that ache in your bones and you may feel that this will never get better or go away. It can eventually come to a place where it becomes an experience to learn from instead of feeling that the grief is controlling every aspect of your life.

I have found that there are a few steps to understanding grief.

Guilt is the number one catalyst for intense grief. Guilt holds tight and it seems to control our emotions. It can prevent you from beginning the healing process. Holding on to guilt will make the process take so much longer. I have had clients that have held on to guilt for 10, 20, 30 years or more. It can also make you believe you should not be happy. Guilt is ingrained in most of us and like myself were taught that guilt had value. We are taught that if you have sinned, then healing is out of the question.

Finding a way to forgive yourself and others will be one of the biggest steps to begin moving the grief. Over the years this has probably been the number one reason that grief is still holding on strong.

Understand that you cannot always control the outcome can you control the choices someone else makes. In my book “Grieving to Believing” I discuss how we do not have the power to control the outcome of someone else’s choices and journey. We are taught to take care of others to give to others and to ignore our own needs. Thinking of ourselves first is considered “selfish”. Well, if you want to believe that, you are limiting your potential. We all have a responsibility for ourselves.

Healing from grief can be a lesson in boundaries. Sometimes others just don’t want your help, or they want to do it themselves. Respect your loved one’s boundaries and choices. Think of it in reversed, do you want others to step in and take over your life? Be respectful of boundaries and because you will understand that the guilt you are carrying may not be yours to carry and understanding this will provide you a little wiggle room to begin the healing process.

I don’t think “everything happens for a reason”, I have taught this for many years. This is a common saying that people say all the time because they don’t know what to say so they fall back on this and it can drive me a little crazy. We can find a purpose from things that have happened, but I have never felt that there is always a specific “reason” for a loved one to depart. As an example, my husband died by suicide along with many others in my life. I have made this a mission to provide knowledge for those experiencing what I have experienced. I have written a book about his passing and his mental health. I’ve have also spoken to many groups about suicide and how to heal from the guilt and understand mental health. I have done thousands of sessions with clients who have lost their loved ones to suicide. This topic has been pushed under the rug for so long and I made it a purpose to help in the understanding and to help support others when dealing with this suicide.

Find a purpose from your losses which can help with grief, for example, when someone experiences a divorce, I hear often of gratitude for the children that came from the marriage. Try too look for the positive actions that will help to mend your heart that has been hurt. A dear friend of ours, Judith Briles lost her son on a bridge in California where it was a non-working road. But they hadn’t taken it down or protected young kids from socializing on the bridge. He fell to his death at a very young age and his parents had no idea that this was a hangout for young people. Judith fought to have the bridge taken down so no one else would perish from a senseless act. The government didn’t protect these children, so the loss created a purpose to save others. She has a wonderful memoir that I endorsed for her When God Says No that I highly recommend.

We are here to learn and grow and it is not always easy. Earth is where we are to learn spiritual lessons and sometimes we “awaken” more layers when we experience pain. We grow and look at life differently and it can put us on a new path. Many times, we see things from such a different perspective, and I have found that this can push us into discovering more about ourselves and our journey here in our Earth School. When we can look at all the different perspectives from our situations it can help to manage the challenges we are dealing with.

Simple ways to support you healing through grief.

This may sound simple but there are common steps in the grieving process.

-Feelings can come and go without announcing themselves, and grief can be very unexpected and catch us by complete surprise.

-There are no rules to your grief process. Grieve your way, don’t let someone else tell you what you should do to heal. That was their experience-not yours. Of course, take advice it you want to take it but don’t let others dictate what you “should” be doing.

-There is no timeline, in when or how you grieve. It’s your grief. Grief won’t leave you, but it will change over time.

-Hugs are better than words.

-It’s okay to question life and your belief system.

-Just because you are blessed in life does not mean you can’t grieve.

-If you’re not okay and someone asks if you are okay it’s alright to acknowledge this and to say something like “not today, but I hope tomorrow is better”.

-Ask others to honor your pain and walk with you, by not telling you how to heal. Know that you are not a victim and you can ask others to respect and have compassion to your healing process.

-Grief doesn’t make sense many times. Everyone carries grief differently. It is ok to feel that no one understands what you are going through.

-I truly believe that humor and joy are the best tools to healing. This can help you connect with your loved one and can help you feel them around you. Guilt can keep us from allowing these experiences, but I guarantee that humor is the right medicine. Our loved ones who have crossed over want that for us and they want to show you they are still with you. Everyday look for something that makes you smile and better yet laugh. It can be hard but watch comedy, talk about a funny time, remember something humorous about your loved one.

-Try journaling, plant something, connect with new people or a new group, be with Mother nature, volunteer, do something in your home that feels like an accomplishment, adopt a pet, ride a horse, learn something new.

See my talk about grief from this past week VIDEO

All my love and support during this time and every day.

Namaste’

Deb Sheppard

Surviving The Holiday’s-Be Gentle With Yourself

Posted on November 24, 2019March 20, 2021 by Deb Sheppard

It’s around the corner, and the holidays will be in full force. Grief can seem to catch us when we may not expect it. There is so much hustle and bustle during this time of year. They call it the season of blessings and gratitude, but for many it can feel as if you just want this to be over.

Whether your loss is a divorce, a death or an unexpected change, grief has a life of its own. No two losses are the same and we all grieve in different ways. We can sometimes push it down and not talk about it causing us to become so emotional that it can make a simple task feel overwhelming. For some old losses are just as challenging as recent ones. Guilt can play a huge role in our experiences that should have joy, but the guilt of bringing happiness to our lives again can be too difficult to embrace.

What I do know is that bringing joy into our lives especially during times of grief, is the best medicine for healing. If you want to feel the connection of a loved one even our fur or feathered babies who have crossed the first thing is to raise your energy levels to have the connection, you once had. This may seem daunting and even fake to make laughter a fun part of your life. However, it is the best tool you can incorporate to your healing process.

Changing how you celebrate your holidays can promote your way of healing and honoring the changes you have been through. Even though we know change is inevitable and it can feel difficult to embrace, honoring the changes you have been through can promote healing also. Find ways to celebrate the past and look forward to the future, it may be hard during grief to grasp this, but it is a way to help in your healing.

When you lose a loved one it can feel like you can’t celebrate them. But, you certainly can with just a few ideas. Start thinking of creative ways that you and your family can incorporate the memories. For example, at Thanksgiving, you can go around the table and share funny stories or share what you loved most about them. Make a toast about your loved one and know they are with you; they are just celebrating without having to do any dishes.

Maybe you can start a new tradition by volunteering for their favorite cause or your favorite one in honor of your loved one.

Another idea would be adopting a family with needs so you can help them celebrate in an effort to help you find what you are grateful for because it can be very challenging to find gratitude when we are grieving. It can be especially hard when others around you are feeling joyous during the holiday season. I encourage you to take many deep breaths and find things that can help you find the joy and gratitude even during grief. I know without a doubt that your loved ones in spirit wants you to have joy, to count your blessings and to celebrate the life you have.

These rules apply to any type of grief, divorce, job loss etc. Nurture yourself by being kind to you, I find that this is a big one. Givers, healers, teachers, etc., feel giving to others will make them feel better. Well, that maybe true for a few moments, but taking care of you is the best thing you can do for yourself and those you share your life with.

Allow yourself to cry, ask for help and learn to say no to the things that are not filling your soul. Beginning to create a balance can actually bring on guilt, but with practice you can feel stronger and better equipped to do what makes you happy and you will begin to be okay to have gratitude and joy. For this Holiday Season, I would love to hear your stories. Please email me with how you are taking care of yourself and what tools you are using to heal. I will choose someone for a Half Hour reading and a set of my Forever Connected Oracle cards so you can connect to your loved one on your own.

Forever Connected Oracle cards

Sending you lots of love and looking forward to hearing from you,

Deb

email me at deb@debsheppard.com

A Mediums Perspective on Healing From a Suicide Loss

Posted on July 19, 2018March 20, 2021 by Deb Sheppard

I am a medium. I help you connect to your loved ones who have crossed over from every type of loss. I have worked with many clients and all types of deaths have come through from tragic ones, accidents, suicide, and murders, to those who die peacefully in their sleep of old age. I have even used my ability to connect with unborn children and four-legged fur babies. Each loss is different, and each relationship is unique.

The purpose to meet with a medium like myself is to get help in finding closure and peace, so healing can begin. As a medium my intention is to help those that seek my guidance to provide insight and tools to begin their healing process.

The topic of death from suicide has been at the top of my radar. In the US suicide is the 10^th leading cause of death. Don’t think it won’t or can’t happen to those you love. When you are faced with a death by suicide, everyone in that individual’s life is affected differently. Guilt is high on the list of emotions of grief. Some are left wondering if more could have been done?

Guilt can be present regardless of the type of death, but we seem to understand cancer, Alzheimer’s, and accidents differently than suicide. Since suicide is so misunderstood and I find many people I work with feel that they grieve alone.

In my experience people in general can be very judgmental to those we have lost through suicide whether is it religious beliefs or community and society judgment. You can lose family and friends, because they sometimes share their opinion of feeling that suicide is a “sin”. There is already so much shame and guilt from suicide, but it makes it worse when you are shut out from your normal support system.

Suicide has been in our media more recently with the deaths of some very high-profile public figures like Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. Because of this there has been more talk about depression and other types of mental illnesses. For some reason our society can accept a liver going bad from drinking or lungs getting cancer from smoking or heart attacks from eating too much cholesterol. Unfortunately, because we don’t completely understand the brain and how it all works, there is no compassion for depression.

Why?

We have so many who have had tragic situations and because of this have been diagnosed with PTSD and struggle with depression. What about all the children who have been abuse victims at the hands of an adult, do you think they may be affected by depression? What about the athletes diagnosed with CTE from too many concussions? What if you are predisposed to depression? This can be like every other trait that can be passed down through DNA to our children and future generations.

When we don’t understand, sometimes we close our minds and just assume. My suggestion is to become educated. We need to keep spreading the word to fight against suicide. When people considering suicide know that there won’t be judgment surrounding their feelings or their depression then they will seek help. Be that safe person for others to share how they are feeling and you can help support them.

Keep in mind that it has been proven that when one family members dies by suicide, there is a possibility another one may follow. When my late husband died by suicide his family didn’t want to talk about it. They told friends that he had a heart attack. They didn’t want to discuss or even admit his suicide, but it does have a ripple effect and others that may have suicidal thoughts may not seek help. This, unfortunately, did happen in my family.

When I am channeling a loved one coming through, no matter how they died whether from cancer, a car accident or suicide, they always seem to be in a good place. One of my sayings is “there is no dieting or taxes where they are, so it must be heaven”. They are not somewhere different because they died by suicide. With all kidding aside, I feel that mental illness is like a cancer of the mind, something is wrong. How do we process and heal when there is something wrong?

Suicide is terrible and when more people learn about this disease we can help transform the belief system. We can inspire people to find help. We can support those who are grieving from a loss from suicide. This isn’t about being ashamed of depression, it’s supporting those who suffer in silence with it.

No matter how our loved ones left us, they are not in the same pain or situation they were while living a human experience. My belief is to honor the fact that we want them to be here! We want them to live longer with us! We can only accomplish this if we begin to change the image of depression. Suicide is not a weakness, it’s an illness.

My book has been launched July of 2018 it shares my journey and the losses that my family endured. It also shares many tips on how to heal from loss. I wrote this book and was vulnerable as I shared my story along with my children’s journey through losing their father and cousin. They were 15 and 11 when their father died by suicide. The book Grieving to Believing; Discovering the Afterlife also shares how to begin to notice signs and connect to your loved ones on your own.

If you take anything away from this article or my book, it is that those that are involved in health care for mental illness, have changed the way we talk about suicide. It is NO longer accepted to say that someone “committed” suicide. The new verbiage is to say they “suicided” or “died by suicide”. It’s no different than saying someone died from cancer or an accident.

If you have had a loss from suicide and still carry guilt and regret, know from my two decades of doing readings, I’ve never had a loved one who suicided project guilt to those they left behind. They want us to recall the good times and know they are still “Forever Connected”.

Tag: Grief