Alain Sauteraud is a physician, psychiatrist and former chief resident. A specialist in obsessive-compulsive disorder, he has written numerous works on the subject, including Je ne peux pas m’arrêter de laver, vérifer, compter (Odile Jacob, 2002).

Despite the inexorability of death, we are often ‘surprised’ by the death of a loved one. We feel distraught, in great pain and are assailed by countless questions: why am I suffering so much? How long will these feelings last? Will I ever enjoy life again? Should I seek help? Isn’t so much grief bad for my own health?
Alain Sauteraud explains that since grieving is surrounded by taboos, the above-mentioned questions are rarely expressed, making it even more difficult to find answers. When we grieve, we quickly discover that we are alone. Added to that, we have a limited understanding of grieving and its specificity, while its deleterious effects on our health and psyche are generally underestimated.
Based on numerous mourners’ testimonials, and backed by recent research on the psychology of grieving, this book will help mourners by enabling them to understand the nature of grieving, which is neither a form of depression nor of stress; instead, it is a rent in the fabric of an attachment, which will eventually scar according to a specific process.

• A practical book to help mourners understand what to expect: the chronology of grieving (first days, first weeks) and the corresponding emotional states; when to seek professional help, etc. The author’s specific advice will help mourners think through several questions: what place should memories hold? How to reorganise one’s life? What purpose do the rituals of grief serve?