Friendship & Grief: how do friendship dynamics play out after we experience loss?

Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.

This week, we have a dilemma from a listener who shares how it feels to continue in friendships after bereavement.

At 53, our listener was very sadly widowed, a devastating loss which came after seven other significant bereavements. In the aftermath, long-term friends who initially supported her through grief have now drifted away, leaving behind a fragile web of transactional interactions and emotional limbo.

In this episode, we'll unpack the grief beneath the grief that our listener has experienced, the second heartbreak of watching friendships fade just when they’re needed most, and why friends often retreat after death even with the best intentions.

If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. 

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Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.

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Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrell

Dial Emma @dialemmapodcast

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