Page 29 - 2016 Autumn-Winter Issue
P. 29
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Healthy Grieving Feature
Saftey Issues in Grief
by Coralease C. Ruff, PhD, RN
During early grief, we are preoccupied, distracted,and suddenly realized I had no idea where I was going. In a
forgetful. We lose our cars in parking lots, forget pots state of panic, I pulled the car over to the side of the road.
cooking on the stove and are careless with sharp objects. I was in full sobbing mode. After crying for I don’t know
We are prone to dropping things and falling, all of which how long, I got myself together, turned around and drove
make us vulnerable to injury. Routine activities like driving back home. I stayed home until my husband could drive me
a car now require extra diligence to ensure safety. where I needed to go.”
Driving while Grieving (DWG) Barbara, a friend of mine, shared with me how she
sideswiped two parked cars when she was driving along
Shortly after returning to work following our daughter a busy street. Another friend spoke of how she rolled
Kandy’s death, I parked my car in the faculty parking lot through a stop sign, realizing only later the red sign meant
and walked the short block and a half to my building. As she should have stopped. You might have your own tale of
I walked, I realized I had been driving more than an hour driving woes. We all agreed that we were fortunate that we
and had no memory of having made the trip. There I was in didn’t hurt ourselves or anyone else. Suffice to say, DWG, as
a different time and place and didn’t know how I got there. I call it, is not a traffic violation yet but can be dangerous to
I only knew of my actions after I parked the car. Oh, what our health.
has happened to my memory? This is scary, I thought.
At my next Compassionate Friends (TCF) meeting, I shared Recently, I read that driving while grieving (DWG) is as
my driving experience with the group. Kay responded, “If deadly as driving while intoxicated (DWI).
you think that’s bad, listen to this. I was driving along and
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