Grief Uncensored Podcast

For this episode, we had the you submit topics, questions, advice, or anything else you wanted us to talk about pertaining grief. We answered all your questions & talked about various topics including how to deal with self isolation after a loss, going back to work, accepting the rippling effects of grief including shifting relationship dynamics and other secondary losses, struggles in dating, and...

In this minisode, we talk about the pressure that we feel as grievers to have grief all figured out. People look to us to help them understand grief in general, and, specifically, we have this responsibility to help others understand our complex feelings surrounding our own grief. This is so much, and we don't always know the answers because we're still struggling to figure it out for ourselves! W...

Join us this week on Grief Uncensored as we dive into the meaning of the phrase we always say in the beginning of our episodes - your grief is your own. We'll also dive into the complex world of social media and its impact throughout all the stages of the grieving process. Social media and it’s endless stream of information, people, interactions, proves to be one of our biggest triggers, but a...

In this minisode of Grief Uncensored, we talk about the concept of closure. As always, we’re skipping the clichés and diving right into the bleak realities of finding closure after loss: a process with no fixed destination. When we talk about closure, it doesn't just mean with the person we lost. We also talk about finding closure with everything we experienced: the loss, the guilt, the anger, the...

In this week's minisode, we confront the whirlwind of existential thoughts and questions that come with being in your 20 somethings. As 20-somethings, we are trying on so many different hats, exploring new paths, and choosing & changing our minds a million times. How scary of a thought is it to realize you have to power to make decisions that will impact your life? And how do we deal with...

In this episode, we dive headfirst into the unfiltered emotions surrounding the holidays. We share our personal experiences with no holding back when it comes to acknowledging that, yeah, the holidays can downright suck when faced with the empty chair at the table and the missing laughter of a loved one.  As we approach the New Year, the passage of time hits differently for grievers. We discuss th...

Welcome back to Season 3 of Grief Uncensored, the podcast where we navigate the uncharted waters of loss, pain, and healing. Your hosts, Julia Gallegos and Yako Shirasuna, are back after a much-needed hiatus. During our break, we took the time to reflect, recharge, and analyze how this year will bring a different perspective to both our personal grief journeys and the podcast itself. Join us in th...

Thank you for joining us! Follow us on Instagram @griefuncensoredpodcast & check out our YouTube for the video version of this podcast. We're so glad you are here.

In this minisode, we can only offer validation and understanding for whatever you may be going through because we know damn well how it feels. Gratitude doesn’t come naturally to us especially after our life has been ripped apart, so a whole holiday dedicated to that feels especially painful. We’re right here alongside you today, and you’re not alone.

This week we met with Zane Landin, journalist and mental health advocate, to talk about his experience losing his mom suddenly in January 2021. Together we talk about doing “grief math”, and speculate on the afterlife and what “heaven” means for us grievers who have our favorite people on the other side. We discuss dreams, mediumship, and signs we get from our loved ones from the other side. Zane...

With summer over and the days getting shorter, the worst time of the year for us grievers is approaching. Holiday season is just around the corner along with its endless parade of reminders of our dead loved ones. It’s possible to feel joy, but it often feels bittersweet. This bittersweet feeling is experienced all the time with grief especially during holidays and big ceremonious events like wedd...

In this episode, our guest Madison Brockmeyer lays it all out of the table. Grief changes a lot of components in your life including your friends, family, self, work, and dating… we’re talking ALL of that today. We dive into some of the secondary losses she experienced including losing her friends and a relationship with her father as she once knew it. The rippling effects of grief also were felt...

Compounded or cumulative grief is when a person experiences several losses in a short period of time. It when when the grief and loss in ones life seems to pile-on, causing bereavement overload. It could mean losing several loved ones, or losing a loved one, then a relationship, then a pet, etc. No matter where your losses are coming from, it is a grief overload that is hard to deal with.   Our gu...

This week, we're joined by Sophia Bylsma as she shares her story about losing her mom to a neurodegenerative illness similar to ALS. She had a very unique experience where her mom chose to partake in the medical aid in dying process (formally known as physician-assisted suicide), which is only legal in a handful of states here in the U.S. This option allows those diagnosed with a terminal illness...

World Mental Health Day is October 10th according to the World Health Organization. In honor of that, we dedicated this week's episode to mental health struggles through the lens of grief. For those of us who experience mental health struggles, we know how it feels to live in an unequal world. There is often a stigma and shame when it comes to mental illnesses. This episode is our attempt to norma...

Being in a committed relationship while grieving isn’t for the weak. There are countless struggles couples have to endure. It’s possible that grief has affected your connection in a negative way, causing conflict. Or, it can bring a couple closer through trust. For the griever, feelings of guilt often rise from feeling depressed too often, trauma dumping, asking “too much” from their partner, etc....

How the f*** are we supposed to “go back to normal” after we have just experienced a life-changing loss? Our world stops yet, time keeps ticking away. The world keeps going on without us as we watch from the sidelines. Grievers are asked TOO often to put on a mask for the outside world and pretend everything is ok. Know that it’s normal to feel like a zombie or to numb-out on auto-pilot.  In...

This week, we had the pleasure of talking with soul-led RD and co-host of her own podcast (the Michelle and Lucy Show), Michelle Caravella. Having lost her dad to cancer, together we talked about anticipatory grief and the difficulties behind having to grieve someone while they're still alive. Anticipatory grief is grief that occurs before the death or loss, and it's just as complicated and confus...

Another life talk with your hosts, Julia and Yako. In this episode, we’re just catching up about all that’s happened since Season 1. We talk about the ever-changing nature of being in your 20’s while simultaneously dealing with the crushing weight of grief. Julia talks about moving to a new city and starting a new life, and Yako talks about visiting home and transitioning into adulthood. Also, we...

Welcome to Season 2 of Grief Uncensored! We’re back with more tears, more laughs, and some amazing new guests! This week, we’re with our friend, Tessa Thompson, who shares her story about losing her dad to cancer at the age of 12. Join us as we talk with her about grieving at such a young age and how grief changes over time. Stay tuned for more and the rest of Season 2!  https://linktr.ee/gri...

Funerals are the worst. They’re awkward, traumatic, and exhausting. Is there really any way to mentally prepare for one, especially one for your parent? *TRIGGER WARNING*: Today’s episode dives deep into certain details about our funeral experiences. Please don’t listen to this episode if this is a triggering topic for you. Additionally, as seen evidently in this episode and throughout our whole p...

This episode we’re talking about feeling guilt after a loss. For us, this might’ve been the hardest episode to get through because this feeling has a huge impact on both of our lives. There’s so many different reasons one might feel guilt, so it’s hard to discuss them all because everyone’s loss and lives are vastly unique. However, no matter how the death occurred, as grievers, somehow we end up...

People often say that grief comes in waves. Sometimes the water is calm, and at other times, it is overwhelming. Some days you learn to float, and on other days, you are fighting not to drown. Today, we talk about how the waves of grief look in our own lives. Join us for another vulnerable conversation where we discuss this duality in grief, the highs and lows and everything in between. https://li...

This week, we talk about how it feels on the “big” days without our person including holidays (e.g. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mother’s/Father’s Day), birthdays, death anniversaries, and more. The first holiday season is always horrible, but that’s not to say that their absence ever goes away. Other days like death anniversaries, birthdays, and New Years force us to acknowledge how much time has pas...

While we have discussed feelings of extreme sadness and isolation associated with grief in past episodes, accompanying anger and resentment are feelings that are more often overlooked. Today, we talk about how normal it is to feel anger after a loss: angry at the world for taking your person away, angry at the people around you for not understanding, and angry at yourself for not being able to do...