Deep Grief: Losing My 23-Year-Old Son To A Fentanyl OD

in 2023, Joree and I came home from an epic Africa trip. The following day, the police came to my door to tell me my 23-year-old son, Brett, was dead. What followed was shock, denial, disbelief, bargaining, anguish, sadness, anger and more. It was a mess.

As always, I try to use experiences in my life to authentically and honestly teach others - how to feel, how to cope, how to make meaning, and how to rejuvenate and re-open the heart after loss. Trigger warning: This one is raw, emotional, and contains discussion about death and grieving. I wanted to provide an example of what real grief looks like, in the moment, by a man, who was not running from his feelings, suppressing them, numbing out or distracting himself. This is an important and deeply difficult show.

Of interest to me, this episode is the most listened to show I have ever done in five years. Many listeners report listening to it multiple times.

What emotions show up in the emotional turmoil that is grief?

How does grief show up in the body?

How do you make sense of a tragic death afterwards?

What are some of the best things you can say to someone in grief?

What are some best practices to re-engage with life and routine after a death?

Thank you for your support during this difficult time. Thank you for listening. Thank you for the love. Thank you for being you. You matter to me. You are important to me. You are why I do what I do.

Please, please share with others if you feel they might benefit from this episode on loss, death and grief.

To find out more about Dr. John Schinnerer’s and Joree Rose’s upcoming monthly Relationship Master Classes, please visit

To join the email list and continue your evolution as a human, visit:

For more info on the offerings from Dr. John and Joree and the amazing couples counseling work they are doing, please visit

For info on Dr. John's work with men, visit

For Joree's solo work with women, visit