The Lone Twin

Book excerpt: People are fascinated with twins - intrigued by their closeness with each other. But what happens when twins are separated, especially by death? Twin mortality is high, but it is not uncommon for a lone twin's loss, at any age, to go unmarked. They need extra help and support to take them through the loss of their 'other half.' The loss of a twin can be devastating to the survivor. Working as an Attachment therapist, Joan Woodward uses John Bowlby's theories as her conceptual base for her research. In this book, she suggests that the highly significant attachment that twins make with each other may begin, for many, before birth. She explains their closeness and tragic experience of death and bereavement. The Lone Twin includes parental attitudes to the surviving twin, the surviving twin's guilt, the ability to cope, and the effect of loss in childhood and adulthood. Of particular interest are those who lost their twin at birth. Throughout, the book is illustrated by the words of surviving twins' affecting accounts of their experiences of bereavement. This is an important and rare book for many professionals - counselors, psychotherapists, social workers, psychologists, and teachers - who come into contact with bereaved twins and yet have little understanding of the dynamics of twinship and of twin loss. Written in jargon-free language, the book is also for the twins themselves, their families, partners, and friends. It gives lone twins the chance to have their voices heard, and it gives professionals the opportunity to develop more effective ways of supporting the lone twin. This greatly expanded and revised second edition details the progress that has been made in the ten years since the book was first published, along with the growth of The Lone Twin Network.