Twins Estranged: Navigating Sibling Loss, Reconnection, and Love in Grief

The Broken Pack: Stories of Sibling Loss

Chapters
0:00
Intro
2:02
About Brandon
3:02
Their Relationship: Estrangement
12:16
Losing Brandon
15:55
The Surprise and Devastation of Losing an Estranged Sibling
17:48
Comfort in the Post Mortem Presence of Her Twin
22:54
Brandon's Hug
24:41
Setting Boundaries with Brandon
26:24
Saying Goodbye: The Funeral
31:21
Brandi & Brandon's Differing Views of Their Twin Bond
32:50
The Call and Changing Family Dynamics
39:56
Where Brandi is Now in Grieving
41:26
Brandi's 30th Birthday
44:47
Brandi's Favorite Memory of Brandon
46:47
Becoming Less Like Oil & Water: After his Death
The Broken Pack: Stories of Sibling Loss
Twins Estranged: Navigating Sibling Loss, Reconnection, and Love in Grief
Jun 07, 2023 Episode 14
Dr. Angela Dean / Brandi Norden

Twins Estranged: Navigating Sibling Loss, Reconnection, and Love in Grief 

In this episode of The Broken Pack: Stories of Sibling Loss, a podcast, surviving sibling Brandi and Dr. Angela Dean  explore the complexity of sibling loss, estrangement, mental health struggles, spirituality, and family dynamics through Brandi's personal story of losing her twin brother Brandon following his death from an overdose.

Content Warning: Information presented in this episode may be upsetting to some people. It contains talk of drug use, addiction, trauma, and overdose. 

  • If you believe you are witnessing an overdose, call 911 or your country’s emergency number immediately even if you are administering Narcan. If you are in the US and would like support for yourself or someone else with substance use, suicidal thoughts, or other topics discussed in this episode, please call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or Text your 5-digit ZIP Code to 435748 (HELP4U) or call a warmline. For more immediate crisis call 911, 988, or go to the nearest emergency room.
  • In the USA an updated directory of warmlines by state can be found at https://warmline.org/warmdir.html
  • A warmline directory for trained peer supports in over 20 countries can be found at https://www.supportiv.com/tools/international-resources-crisis-and-warmlines (some of these may be hotlines)

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If you would like more information or to share your own sibling loss story, please contact Dr. Angela Dean at contact@thebrokenpack.com or go to our website, thebrokenpack.com.

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Thank you!
Angela M. Dean, PsyD, FT, GTMR

Credits:
The Broken Pack: Stories of Sibling Loss  is produced by Not Done Here Media

"If Tomorrow Starts Without Me" © ℗ 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
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