Grief Presumptions: The Assumptions We Make About Loss (Part 3) | 185

Send us Fan MailWhen someone is visibly grieving, the people around them quickly conclude, usually without adequate evidence. She isn't crying, so she must be coping. He went back to work, so he must be over it. They seem angry, not sad — that can't be grief.These are presumptions. In Part 3 of this three-part series, Nathalie examines how presumptions about grief operate in real time, in specific moments, and why they cause a different kind of harm from grief myths and preconceptions.What's covered in this episodeThe precise definition of a presumption and how it differs from a myth (cultural) and a preconception (personal, pre-existing)Why presumptions feel like observations but function as judgementsHow presumptions cause harm, both to the person being presumed about, and to the person making themThe most common grief presumptions, examined through: what is being assumed, where it comes from, how it lands, and what a more accurate response looks likeWhat supporters can do differently and why the impulse to interpret is so strongThe core distinction across all three episodes Myths, preconceptions, and presumptions are related, but they operate at different levels and in different moments.Grief myths exist in the culture: in the language, the rituals, the policies, the media. They are transmitted without any single person deciding to transmit them. Myths are covered in Part 1.Preconceptions are the individual's internalised version of those myths: what a person has absorbed over a lifetime, and carries into grief before it happens. They shape what someone expects from their own grief. Preconceptions are covered in Part 2.Presumptions are what happen in a specific moment: a conclusion drawn about someone else's grief, or one's own, without adequate evidence. Unlike myths and preconceptions, presumptions are active and situational. They happen in the room, in the conversation, at the graveside. Presumptions are what this episode covers.Support the show💡 If today’s episode touched you, please share it with someone who might need it. 🤝 Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month & leave a review.Stay Connected🌐 Visit nathaliehimmelrich.com💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for resources and updates🎧 Never miss an episode—follow the podcast!💛 Socials   Instagram   FacebookFind Support Resources 💜 For Grievers – Resourceshttps://nathaliehimmelrich.com/grief-trauma-support/💜 For Supporters – Supporting someone https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/supporters-resources/💜 Books – Explore books on grief and healing https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/books/💜 Support – Offers - free and paid https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/free-resources-hub/