Laugh, Cry, Scream: Life with Grief & Estrangement

In this episode of Laugh, Cry, Scream, we take on a question that hits hard for a lot of people living through loss:
What hurts more, grief or estrangement?
If you have experienced physical loss, estrangement, or both, you already know this is not a simple comparison. One comes with finality. The other comes with unanswered questions, rejection, silence, hope, and the pain of someone still being alive but no longer being in your life. 
In this conversation, we talk about:
why grief and estrangement are not the same
why “at least they’re still alive” is not always helpful
how estrangement can leave you without closure
the difference between physical loss and voluntary rejection
birthdays, milestones, and what it means to still celebrate someone
the emotional weight of being treated like the villain
how journaling, unsent messages, and support can help
This episode is for anyone navigating family estrangement, child loss, complicated grief, or the messy middle of trying to survive something people do not fully understand.
You are not crazy.
You are not weak.
And you do not have to do this alone.
Subscribe, follow, and share this episode with someone who needs this conversation.
Resources and support:
Visit laughcryscream.com
Join the Facebook support community: Letting Go: Life After Estrangement

Chapters
00:00 Welcome back to Laugh, Cry, Scream
00:45 The sports roast begins
01:48 Grief vs. estrangement: can you even compare them?
03:10 “At least your child is still alive” and why that misses the point
05:18 Physical loss vs. voluntary rejection
07:02 Why estrangement can feel impossible to get closure from
08:32 The questions estranged parents keep asking themselves
10:18 Society treats death and estrangement very differently
12:08 From victim to villain
13:34 Does death impact estrangement too?
14:52 How Chris honors her son’s birthday and death day
16:15 What do you do on an estranged child’s birthday?
18:02 Frozen in time vs. watching life go on without you
19:28 Joe realizes he has not celebrated his daughter
21:12 Sending cards, holding space, and thinking about their day
23:06 Why this conversation matters in real time
24:05 So which hurts worse?
25:35 A reminder not to compare pain
26:28 Tools that actually help: journaling and not minimizing the hurt
27:42 Writing unsent texts can be therapeutic
29:35 Talking to your child after loss or estrangement
30:38 We are not therapists, and support matters
31:15 Website, Facebook group, and Tuesday support calls
32:20 Resources, books, and final encouragement
My recommendation for the final combo
Title:
Grief vs. Estrangement: Which One Hurts More?
Thumbnail:
Which Hurts More?
First line of description:
What hurts more, grief or estrangement? In this episode of Laugh, Cry, Scream, we talk about why those two losses are different, why neither should be minimized, and why comparison rarely helps.
If you want, I can do the Facebook caption, TikTok caption, Instagram caption, and YouTube shorts hook lines for this episode next.

What does it really feel like to be an estranged parent while also carrying deep grief? In the first episode of Laugh, Cry, Scream, Chris Workman and Joe Sassmen share their stories of child loss, estrangement, shame, guilt, and healing. They introduce the heart behind the podcast and share the deeply personal stories that brought them here. They talk about child loss, parental estrangement, guilt, shame, healing, and what it means to keep going when life changes you forever.
This conversation covers:
what it feels like to be an estranged parent
the grief of losing a child
how shame and self-blame can take over
the difference between boundaries and avoidance
how grief impacts the whole family
learning to give yourself grace
why honest conversations matter in healing
This is not a polished version of pain.
This is not toxic positivity.
This is real life, real grief, real estrangement, and the hard conversations most people avoid.
If you are navigating grief, estrangement, family loss, or trying to figure out how to move forward without losing yourself, you are not alone here.
Like, subscribe, and share to help us reach more people who need these conversations.
Follow along for more episodes, guest conversations, live discussions, resources, and support.
Important links: 
Our Website: www.laughcryscream.com
Estranged Parent Support Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lettingitgolifeafterestrangement
00:00 Welcome to Laugh, Cry, Scream
01:18 Why this podcast needed both a male and female perspective
03:00 Clearing up rumors and why this is not about money
04:27 The age gap jokes and setting the tone
05:38 Grief and estrangement are never one emotion
06:30 Chris shares the loss of her son
09:08 Losing both parents in 2020
11:32 Her wedding day and the turning point with estrangement
14:35 Shame, blame, and realizing you are not 100% at fault
17:12 Missing grandchildren and living with the ache
19:42 Joe shares his backstory and family history
22:06 Losing his son in a car accident
23:55 The text that changed everything with his daughter
26:40 Was it a boundary or was it avoidance?
28:02 How grief fed guilt, shame, and self-destruction
30:14 When grief and estrangement collide
32:15 Giving yourself grace after loss
33:55 Why this podcast exists
35:05 Understanding both sides of estrangement
36:30 Why tough conversations matter
37:42 Resources, Facebook group, Zooms, and where to connect
39:05 Final encouragement and closing

Something amazing is loading... A raw 20-second moment from Laugh, Cry, Scream with Chris Workman, a podcast about grief, family estrangement, emotional healing, and life after loss. This short episode speaks to the real emotions that come with grief, parent-child estrangement, broken family relationships, and the healing journey. If you are looking for grief support, estrangement support, or honest conversations about loss and emotional pain, visit www.griefandhealingwithchris.com

In this episode of Estranged and Deranged, we talk about one of the most painful layers of family estrangement: losing a relationship with your grandchildren.
This conversation goes beyond missing your adult child. We get into the unique grief grandparents carry when memories fade, milestones are missed, and a connection they helped build is suddenly cut off. We also talk about the emotional toll, the silence, the anger, the hope, and a few ways grandparents can still hold space for the grandchildren they love.
If you are walking through estrangement and grandparent loss, this episode is for you.
More resources, support, and episodes at estrangedandderanged.net

00:00 Welcome back to Estranged and Deranged
01:18 Kid comment of the week
05:10 Why this kind of loss cuts so deep
08:32 When estrangement takes your grandchildren too
12:40 The grief of missed memories and milestones
17:08 The anger, helplessness, and silence
21:36 “They’re not your kids” and why that still hurts
26:18 Grandparents’ rights and the hard truth
31:05 Ways grandparents try to cope
36:12 What this loss teaches us about family
40:22 Final thoughts and encouragement
FREE Resource: https://stan.store/griefandhealingwithchris/p/a-grieving-heart--the-grandparent-grief-toolkit

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What happens when estranged parents stop begging for contact?
In this episode of the Estranged & Deranged Podcast, Candy and Chris dive into one of the hardest phases of family estrangement — the moment when parents stop chasing, begging, emailing, texting, and trying to fix the relationship.
Many estranged parents believe that if they just apologize enough, try harder, or reach out one more time, their child will come back. But what actually happens when that cycle finally stops?
Candy and Chris share the emotional reality that follows:
• the silence
• the emotional vacuum
• the grief that resurfaces
• and the surprising dignity and freedom that can follow
They also read real responses from estranged parents who shared what happened after they stopped chasing their adult children.
This episode explores self-respect, boundaries, grief, identity, and the difficult journey of rebuilding a life after estrangement.
If you're navigating estrangement, please know you are not alone.
⚠️ Reminder: We are not therapists. We are parents speaking from lived experience.
Resources & Support
🌐 Website
https://estrangedandderanged.net
💬 Join the Support Community
Search Facebook for When They Walk Away
❤️ Support the podcast on Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/cw/EstrangedandDeranged
00:00 Intro
01:05 Comment of the Week (YouTube comment reaction)
05:20 “Just apologize” criticism discussion
09:30 The reality of parenting reflection
12:10 Episode topic: What happens after begging stops
15:00 Why begging becomes a habit
18:30 The illusion of control
22:00 The emotional vacuum
25:30 Checking emails, texts, and social media
28:40 The turning point: self-respect
32:10 Real responses from estranged parents
36:45 The silence after begging stops
41:30 Emotional whiplash and grief
46:10 Finding dignity again
50:00 Rebuilding identity and life
55:00 Redirecting your energy
59:00 Practical steps to stop begging
1:03:00 Support group and resources
1:05:30 Closing thoughts

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★