Navigating Upper Extremity Amputation

This is Body Grief cover image © Penguin Random House / Jayne Mattingly

This is Body Grief by Jayne Mattingly introduces readers to the seven stages of grief that often accompany the bodily changes we experience through puberty, menopause, pregnancy, aging, chronic illness, and disability. Mattingly suggests that every person has or will experience some level of body grief and that much of our inherent ageism and ableism originates from the fear of our own inevitable loss of ability.

Mattingly draws on her own experience of chronic illness and navigating an unexpected disability, as well as her practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor, to help readers identify and move through stages of dismissal, shock, apology, fault, fight, hopelessness/hope with the goal of arriving at body trust or acceptance.

Like other grieving processes, body grief is not linear, and I’ve found myself existing in multiple stages simultaneously or circling back to a stage that I had temporarily moved on from. (Dismissal and fight are apparently my favorites.) Mattingly explains the purpose of each stage as we process trauma, signs that you’re in each stage, and practical stories and examples from friends and clients.

I listened to the audiobook version narrated by the author, and though I found it helpful, I would recommend getting a physical copy. There are journaling and reflection prompts throughout the book that are difficult to sit and engage with in an audio format, and I could see this being a book that could be referenced again and again as your body continues to change.