SYSK Selects: How Grief Works

In this episode, Josh and Chuck dive deep into the complex and deeply personal experience of grief, exploring everything from how different animals mourn to the famous five stages psychologists have taught us about for decades. They discuss how grief shows up differently for everyone—sometimes it's anticipated through a prolonged illness, sometimes it hits unexpectedly, and sometimes it's ambiguous with no real closure—and they're joined by compelling stories like that of Dominie the elephant, whose grief was so profound she refused to eat or drink after losing her pregnant friend. Throughout the episode, the hosts break down how modern psychology is actually rethinking the traditional grief framework, revealing that many people don't experience all five stages or even grieve in the ways we expect, which is completely normal, and they offer practical suggestions for moving through loss while honoring the person you've lost.