What happens when grief is not tied to death, but to the life you thought you were going to have? In this honest and moving episode of Enduring Grief, Sarah sits down with Brad to talk about living with schizophrenia, losing confidence, facing stigma, and rebuilding a meaningful life one day at a time. Brad shares how medication, therapy, community, nature, and self-awareness have helped him accept his diagnosis without letting it define him. Together, they explore grief as the loss of dreams, identity, relationships, and independence, while also holding onto hope. This conversation is a caring reminder that healing takes effort, support matters, and even on the hardest days, tomorrow can still be different.

Episode highlights:

(0:00) Learning to let go and trust life

(1:06) Expanding grief beyond death

(2:15) Brad’s story of living with schizophrenia

(4:35) Diagnosis, lost dreams, and rebuilding

(6:48) Reality, medication, and personal responsibility

(10:23) Grieving hopes, dreams, and former expectations

(13:07) Mental health stigma and loss of relationships

(16:41) The role of family, therapy, and community support

(20:24) What Brad would tell his younger self

(21:48) Relax, let go, and keep going

(26:22) How to support someone facing serious mental illness

(31:03) Growth through pain, support, and time

(34:08) Journaling, tracking progress, and finding hope

Connect with Sarah:

✅ Instagram: instagram.com/clearmourning

✅ Official Website: clearmourning.org

Follow us on Instagram: @ClearMourning

Stay inspired with daily reflections, quotes on healing, and behind-the-scenes content from the podcast.

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Leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform—it helps others discover these stories of healing. And if this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who might benefit. Word of mouth is the best way to spread healing and hope.

What if your grief response is not “wrong,” but a clue to how you learned to survive? In this warm, honest, and funny conversation, Sarah welcomes Elizabeth Orr, author of The Unfiltered Enneagram, to explore how the Enneagram can help us better understand grief, support, anger, love, and emotional shutdown. Together, they look at how different personality types may carry loss, from the fiery anger of Type 8 to the quiet weight of Type 9, the high standards of Type 1, the caregiving struggle of Type 2, and the hidden inner world of Type 5. This episode offers practical, compassionate insight for grievers and the people who love them, reminding us that grief does not have to look one certain way to be real.

Episode highlights:

(4:19) Clear Morning’s mission to shift grief support

(5:50) How the Enneagram helps explain grief responses

(7:11) What the Enneagram is and why it matters

(11:43) Supporting Type 8 grievers through anger

(15:51) How each type offers a gift in support

(18:19) Gut center types: 8, 9, and 1

(23:41) Type 2 grief and learning to receive care

(28:48) Type 3 grief and the pressure to do it “right”

(32:55) Type 4 grief, meaning, and feeling misunderstood

(37:36) Type 5 grief, shutdown, and the need for steady support

(43:03) Enneagram resources and where to learn more

Connect with Elizabeth:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/lzjhnsnrr/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/rudeassenneagram/?hl=en

Grab a copy of her book The Unfiltered Enneagram: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9Y3X6MP

Connect with Sarah:

✅ Instagram: instagram.com/clearmourning

✅ Official Website: clearmourning.org

Follow us on Instagram: @ClearMourning

Stay inspired with daily reflections, quotes on healing, and behind-the-scenes content from the podcast.

Love What You Hear?

Leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform—it helps others discover these stories of healing. And if this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who might benefit. Word of mouth is the best way to spread healing and hope.

What happens when the life you knew disappears, but you still have to wake up and live the next day? In this heartfelt episode of Enduring Grief, Sarah Peterson sits with Marlis and Dean for an honest conversation about identity, loss, and the painful moments when life no longer feels familiar. They talk about illness, parenting through hardship, losing roles that once defined them, and learning to live in “new rooms” after grief changes everything. Through personal stories, gentle humor, and deep wisdom, they explore how sadness can slowly make room for gratitude, love, and meaning. This episode offers comfort for anyone facing a major life change, reminding listeners that they do not have to like the loss to keep moving toward what matters most.

Episode highlights:

(2:38) When life no longer feels like your life

(3:02) Losing the expected version of motherhood

(6:09) Illness, identity loss, and career grief

(9:00) How roles change through every stage of life

(15:18) Why grief may always be present

(18:00) Feeling lost when old guideposts disappear

(23:32) Redefining yourself after loss

(28:53) One small step toward what matters most

(30:19) Entering the “new room” after grief

(36:07) Why we cannot return to the old rooms

(41:26) Choosing one guidepost for today

Connect with Sarah:

✅ Instagram: instagram.com/clearmourning

✅ Official Website: clearmourning.org

Follow us on Instagram: @ClearMourning

Stay inspired with daily reflections, quotes on healing, and behind-the-scenes content from the podcast.

Love What You Hear?

Leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform—it helps others discover these stories of healing. And if this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who might benefit. Word of mouth is the best way to spread healing and hope.