Invisible Loss: Recognizing and Healing Unacknowledged Heartbreak and Grief

From an acclaimed grief educator and the author of Second Firsts and Where Did You Go? comes a road map to recognize and heal the unspoken, often misunderstood experience of everyday loss, so you can finally reenter and live your life in full.

“Compared to most, my problems are small. I should be happy with what I’ve got.” Our inner judge often tells us grief is “allowed” for big losses, but that we should tough out everyday heartbreak. The loss of a loved one and a devastating divorce are likely to be accepted as grief events. But what about moments when we feel overlooked, disregarded, or misunderstood? This could look like rejection in the workplace, lack of intimacy in a relationship, being overlooked by friends, or working in a position that’s not a dream job. “These are losses society doesn’t recognize, mirror back to us, or validate,” says acclaimed grief educator Christina Rasmussen. “As a result, we don’t recognize or validate them either.”

This unacknowledged type of grief—invisible losses that are often labeled as not worthy of recognition—can be hard to define and may surface as feelings of anxiety, depression, angst, or restlessness. These are the moments when we shift perception of ourselves and can end up living in continuous survival mode, without really recognizing or understanding why.

In Invisible Loss, Rasmussen shines a light on this unrecognized form of grief. Because we avoid invisible loss, we don’t process it; instead, we seek the protection of an endless “waiting room” in the hope that time will heal our wounds. Here, Rasmussen helps you meet your loss, free from shame or guilt, to explore:

• The origin of your invisible loss and how you’ve coped along the way
• The five life reentry phases based on the Life Reentry® Model
• Exercises to help you find your way out of the waiting room
• Guidance in reframing your thoughts toward your original self

“The entire world is silently grieving, attempting to process a form of heartbreak unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. We need a new language and road map for our invisible losses,” says Rasmussen. This guide gives you the tools you need in order to heal, move forward, and embrace the life you were meant to lead.