Families Bereaved by Alcohol or Drugs

‘Surviving a death related to drug or alcohol abuse can be a particularly tragic experience. This book uniquely deals with the process of bereavement in these special circumstances, and unveils a world still unknown to many.’ - Professor Diego De Leo AO, DSc, Director, Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. ‘Any society that claims to be a caring one should recognise and respond compassionately to the doubly painful bereavement experiences that this group of researchers discuss. The story they tell is a moving one, but it is not always reassuring. It seems that we have been ignoring what is in fact a common problem – losing a loved one who had an alcohol or drug problem – and that those of us who meet such bereaved family members have not always been as caring as we should have been. There are important lessons to be learned here.’ - Jim Orford, Emeritus Professor of Clinical and Community Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England. ""Valentine, joined by eight other researchers and authors, offers a significant qualitative research study into the grief processes and bereavement needs of adults coping with a substance related death. Focused on populations in England and Scotland, the book will be useful to bereavement and research professionals in the USA and elsewhere since both commonalities and contrasts across cultures are illuminative."" - ADEC Connects