We believe that peer support is essential after a loss, and provide it through storytelling.
Since 2020, Teenage Grief Sucks (TGS) has been a platform of hope and support for anyone who knows teenage grief personally or professionally. TGS is created and run by
, who lost her dad and bonus mom while she was in high school.Natalie’s Story
When Natalie1 was 14, the unthinkable happened: her dad died.
Less than a year later, her bonus mom passed, as well.
Instead of spending her evenings hanging out with friends and focusing on school, Natalie found herself struggling to keep up with her homework and social life while grieving.
Like most teens, Natalie spent a lot of time on her phone, so naturally she decided to look online for resources to help her with her grief. While she did come across some very helpful ones, she was unable to find what she was looking for: a teenage grief site by teenagers. Everything she found was written by adults, and even though some adult perspectives were helpful to her, what she really needed was stories written by kids her own age.
Natalie kept on looking for websites like this, but she never found any. One day, during a "teenage grief" Google search, she got an idea. Natalie had always loved writing, and already journaled a bit about her grief, so why shouldn't she make her words public?
Over the next few months, Natalie's journals slowly turned into a project she liked to call "Teenage Grief Sucks" (TGS) because, well, teenage grief does suck. Natalie was determined to make TGS a place where any grieving kid could go and be able to read a story they related to.
Teenage Grief Sucks was released in March of 2020, and is unlike other resources for grieving teens, as almost all of the content provided is written by teenagers themselves. On the TGS website, teens are able to read stories by their peers on topics like school and having a social life during grief.
Natalie isn’t a teenager anymore, but she’s still passionate about teen grief advocacy. This Substack gives a second life to the posts featured on the original TGS website (which is no longer online). I hope this helps.
Disclaimer - The content on this site is not meant to be taken as medical information or professional advice. If you are in need of medical help, seek assistance from a licensed therapist or, if it is urgent, contact emergency services in your area.
Pseudonym to protect privacy.
