Mental Health Mondays: 005 Grief part 1

The handsome dude in this photo, with my sister and me, is my father, Samuel. I was named (second name) after him!!! He was a good dad. He made us chorizo, egg and rice sometimes. He was an amazing dentist. He was also a hunter and would sometimes bring me with him to his trips. We even have matching camo uniforms for the trips! He was the best. However, he passed away back in ‘87 when he was 32.

His death and absence was something four year old Daniel did not have the capacity or tools to process. Now even after 34 years, I still have days when I miss him a lot and the pain feels raw, specially during his birthday, death anniversary, and Father’s Day.

In my sessions with my therapist, one of the things we talk a lot about is my grief. A lot of unprocessed grief that I did not know that I just pushed down all these years. I am learning to manage and live with it better now, but it has affected the way i think, lived my life and made decisions. Albeit indirectly, it was a contributing factor to my anxiety attack events. Grief is definitely something that I needed professional help to work through and I’m thankful that I am able to do so.

This Monday, I wanted to share that everyone has a mental health story. This is mine and how the grief from the loss of my Tatay (father) has affected me. Grief is tough, it’s different for every person and it’s important to process.

Let’s talk about our stories. Tell me yours.

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