Exploring Adoption and Grief: Untangling the Emotional Journeys of Adoptees

Adoptees Crossing Lines

Exploring Adoption and Grief: Untangling the Emotional Journeys of Adoptees

Coping with grief as an adoptee

They change our name, our identity is erased. They don’t change it, we feel like outsiders. As adoptees, we don’t belong to any family…neither our adoptive family or biological family really gets us. In this episode, we talk about the many ways grief shows up for adoptees and talk about tools of coping with adoption including finding a trauma therapist who understands adoption, joining support groups, and writing dark poetry.

“I don’t want this adoption stigma to carry me forever”

What we discussed

(00:00) Changing names after adoption

(04:13) Ways adoptees experience grief

(09:35) TW: Adoptees and suicide OR Why adoption is trauma OR Finding adoption-competent therapists (the struggle is real)

(16:08) Secrecy and adoption

(21:03) “He chose not to raise me”

(24:08) Coping with adoption trauma (besides therapy) OR Other ways to cope with adoption trauma (besides therapy)

(28:52) It’s ok not be ok, adoptees.
Links

Peer Support Space (Support Group - Adult Survivors of the Child Welfare System)

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Credits

Special thanks to Samuel Oyedele for editing our podcast, support his work on Instagram or e-mail him at [e-mail]
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