When Grief and Trauma Collide – Christina Babich, MA

When Christina Babich's partner, Alex, died suddenly from a brain aneurysm while they were visiting his family in Italy, her world shattered in more ways than one. In addition to the grief of losing the person she loved and the future they were building together, Christina was also left to navigate the aftermath of a deeply traumatic event - one that profoundly impacted her nervous system, sense of safety, and identity. In this episode, Christina shares what it was like to grieve a sudden, "out-of-order" death while also navigating the derealization, hypervigilance, and other ways the trauma of his death affected her. She talks about how being a "quasi widow" shaped the care and recognition she received and why platitudes about resilience and post-traumatic growth can sometimes feel alienating rather than supportive. Christina also reflects on how her personal experience shaped her work as a psychologist specializing in grief and trauma, including the role of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), the pressure placed on people who are grieving to "transform" their pain, and the importance of being witnessed by someone who truly understands. We discuss The difference between grief and trauma - and how they often coexistDerealization, PTSD, and nervous system responses after a sudden deathWhat Christina means by "quasi-widow" Why platitudes about strength and growth can feel harmfulHow Cognitive Processing Therapy was helpful for herGrieving lost identities, futures, and imagined lives Finding connection with others who can relate Living day-to-day when the future feels overwhelming Connect with Christina Website: https://www.christinababich.com/ Substack: christinababich.substack.com