The Journey of Grief
- NBA All-Star Scottie Pippen recently opened up about grieving his eldest son’s death.
- Grief is unavoidable and important after losing a loved one.
- Therapy and support groups can be great tools to help you cope with all the emotions that come with loss.
Pippen, 55, is known for his basketball prowess which led him to six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls during the 1990s. He announced his son’s death on April 19, but he has not yet revealed his son’s cause of death. He has, however, shared details about his healing process.
Read MoreHis son, Antron, was the eldest of Pippen’s eight children, but he died when he was just 26. Pippen shared his love for basketball with Antron, and he was outwardly proud of his son’s athletic achievements despite suffering from chronic asthma. In a tribute post, Pippen said he would make sure his son’s legacy endured.
View this post on Instagram
“Faithful, humble and resilient,” Pippen wrote under a picture of him with Antron as a child. “Loved by all who knew him.”
Dealing with Grief
Grief is inevitable and essential when you’re forced to say goodbye to a loved one. Giving yourself privacy can be hugely beneficial, but opening up to others, like Scottie Pippen has done via social media and with PEOPLE, can also allow for better healing.
In a previous interview, Doug Wendt shared his thoughts on the grieving process with SurvivorNet after losing his wife Alice to ovarian cancer.
"We're never gonna move on, I don't even think I want to move on, but I do want to move forward," Wendt said. "That's an important distinction, and I encourage anybody who goes through this journey as a caregiver and then has to face loss, to think very carefully about how to move forward."
Everyone's journey of grief looks different, but therapy and support groups can also be wonderful options to explore. It's also important to keep in mind that time does not heal everything, but it certainly helps.
In an earlier interview with SurvivorNet, Camila Legaspi shared her own advice on grief after her mother died of breast cancer. For her, therapy made all the difference.
"Therapy Saved My Life": After Losing A Loved One, Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help
"Therapy saved my life," Legaspi said. "I was dealing with some really intense anxiety and depression at that point. It just changed my life, because I was so drained by all the negativity that was going on. Going to a therapist helped me realize that there was still so much out there for me, that I still had my family, that I still had my siblings."
Legaspi also wanted to remind people that even though it can be an incredibly difficult experience to process, things will get better.
"When you lose someone, it's really, really, really hard," Legaspi said. "I'm so happy that I talked to my therapist. Keep your chin up, and it's going to be OK. No matter what happens, it's going to be OK."
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
