Grief Community
Community Guidelines
A tender place needs tender care. Thank you for reading these before you post.
Who this space is for
The grief community is a private, moderated space for bereaved parents, siblings, partners, family members, and close friends who have lost a child or young person. It is not a substitute for therapy or crisis care.
How we treat each other
- Lead with kindness. Grief looks different for everyone. There is no "right" way and no timeline.
- No comparisons or hierarchies of loss. Every loss is the worst loss for the person living it.
- No unsolicited advice. Witnessing matters more than fixing. If you want feedback, ask for it in your post.
- Use content warnings. If your post contains graphic detail about a death, suicide, self-harm, or pregnancy/infant loss, please add a brief warning at the top so others can choose when to read.
- Stay anonymous if you wish. Use any display name you like. Do not share other members' real names, photos, or stories outside the community.
What is not allowed
- Harassment, slurs, or attacks on any member.
- Promoting products, services, fundraisers, or political campaigns.
- Religious proselytizing. Sharing your own faith and what helps you is welcome; telling others what they "should" believe is not.
- Sharing or requesting medical, legal, or financial advice as if it were professional guidance.
- Encouraging self-harm or suicide. If you are in crisis, please call or text 988 (US Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) right away.
Privacy & safety
- What is shared here stays here. Do not screenshot or repost members' words elsewhere.
- Direct messages are private between participants and our moderators when reported.
- You can mute or block another member at any time from their profile.
- You can report any post, reply, or message. Reports go to our small moderation team.
Moderation
Our moderators may hide content, remove members, or close threads when needed to keep the space safe. We try to do this with care and to explain when we can. Repeated or serious violations result in removal from the community.
Crisis resources
- 988 — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text, US)
- Text HOME to 741741 — Crisis Text Line
- Compassionate Friends — compassionatefriends.org
Questions or concerns? Email jenifer@gillianraganfoundation.org.