Jarkon Interviewed About Grief During Holidays

Newsday spoke with Liat Jarkon, D.O., NYITCOM psychiatrist and director of the Center for Behavioral Health, for an article about coping with the death of a loved one during the holiday season. For people grieving a recent or even long-past death, the holidays might magnify that loss, shining a light on the person’s absence and triggering bittersweet memories. Jarkon recommends creating new traditions, like adding a tribute to your loved one, which could help make the holiday more meaningful.

“You can memorialize the person, talk about them, and share stories of their joining you in past holidays, to make it more of a positive connection,” Jarkon said. “It is very sad and difficult, but the more you share what you’re [feeling], instead of holding it in, it becomes more of a shared grief and therefore puts less pressure on you individually,” Jarkon said.