Grieving is a natural process that can take place after any kind of loss. Dealing with loss can be very distressing but it is normal – albeit very difficult and painful - to experience very strong reactions. Grief is not an illness. Your feelings are something you experience and not symptoms that have to be treated.
Look after yourself physically. Try to eat well and get plenty of rest. It is very easy to overlook your physical needs when you are busy dealing with everything that has to be done after a death or struggling with grief.
Everyone grieves in their own way
Everyone reacts in their own way when they are grieving for someone who was very close to them. Each person and relationship is special and unique. Don’t worry if you’re not reacting the way other people seem to be, or if someone says you should be feeling or behaving a certain way and you’re not. The important thing is to allow yourself to feel and do what is right for you in your own time.
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Take your time to make choices
Your first reaction may include disbelief and confusion. You may find it impossible to take in what has happened. Even if you were expecting a person to die, the moment of death may have come as a shock, leaving you feeling unprepared and anxious or even angry.
There will be some practical things to attend to and decisions to make. Some things do have to be done quickly, but don’t feel you have to rush into decisions if there is no need. Think about what you really want and take your time. You may find it helpful to talk to someone about practical issues. Don’t enter into any financial or legal agreements unless you fully understand them and don’t let others rush you into anything before you are ready.
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Intense feelings are part of grieving
People often find that the first two or three months after someone has died are quite busy with practical things to attend to. It can be after this period that the full impact of your loss may be felt.
You may be surprised by the intensity of your feelings. You may become forgetful and find it hard to concentrate. You may experience a whole range of feelings including physical pain and great sadness, isolation, helplessness, anxiety, relief and anger that the person has died.
You may be angry at yourself because you wish you had done things differently and now feel you have no opportunity to put things right and be forgiven. You may be angry at the person for dying. You may be angry at the world for your loss, or feel anger towards your god.
It is not uncommon to feel relief that the person has died and then feel guilty about feeling this way. There may be many different reasons why you would have such feelings - situations and relationships can be very complicated – but try not to feel guilty because they are also part of grieving.
You may also find that feelings return about a previous loss which you thought you were over, or that you now grieve for a previous loss that didn’t seem to affect you at the time.
Don’t hide your feelings. Do express them as much as possible and talk to someone you trust. You may find you need to talk through your feelings repeatedly.
Don’t ignore your grief or try to move on before you feel ready. There is no right or wrong amount of time to grieve. Recovery is not a constant process – sometimes you will feel worse rather than better, but this is normal. You may also find that birthdays, holidays and anniversaries are difficult times, even when you thought you had moved on.
You may find it helpful to make some longer term plans so that you have something to look forward to in the future.
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Grieving within a family
Your family and friends will also be experiencing grief which will be unique to them. It can be upsetting if one family member feels very angry while another feels intense sadness and needs to cry, or if one person needs to talk about their feelings while another wants to say very little.
Try to acknowledge these differences. Sharing your thoughts and feelings can lessen the loneliness and bring you closer together.
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Including children
Generally, children under four or five years old do not understand that a person who has died will not come back. Children and young people often need to be reminded of this again and again.
Children experience the passage of time differently from adults and can therefore appear to overcome grief quite quickly.
However, children in their early school years may need reassuring that they are not responsible for the death of a close friend or relative as they often blame themselves for one reason or another.
This is something that anyone who is bereaved may experience, but it is particularly common for this age group.
If you are caring for grieving children, it is important to share your grief. Even very young children experience grief and need to be given the opportunity to express their feelings. You may want to protect your child from the pain of grief but, as one mother said: “It isn’t a choice of whether she will hurt or not but whether I will know about it.”
Children often know more than adults realise and they need honest information to help them make sense of what has happened. If you are unsure about how to support your child then it may be helpful to talk to your GP, Health Visitor or Practice Nurse.
Some Marie Curie Hospices have Children and Young People’s Workers who may be able to offer advice and support. All our hospices can provide you with the following booklets about helping children:
- Talking to children when someone close is very ill
- Helping children when someone close dies
- Questions children may want to ask when someone close to them has died
- Teenage grief – things you might want to know
- Books and cassettes for children, teenagers and adults about bereavement
Please see the Further information: bereavement organisations and information section for details of how to order them.
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Where to go for support
During the coming weeks and months you may need help and support from others - it can be very hard to manage bereavement alone. If you are worried about your feelings, it may also help to talk them through.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness: it takes courage and strength to ask for help.
Many people find that their close family and friends are a tremendous help, so do make sure you keep in touch with them. Even if they themselves are grieving, they may want to be close to you to support and care for you.
It may also help to talk to someone outside your family and circle of friends. You could contact someone else whom you trust: a minister of religion, your GP or a bereavement support organisation (please see the Further information: bereavement organisations and information section). Your GP or Practice Nurse should be able to recommend a local bereavement support group or counsellor.
If the person who has died was cared for by a Marie Curie Hospice, the hospice will contact you within eight weeks of the death to offer you bereavement support. However, if you would like support sooner, do not hesitate to contact the hospice (which should give you its contact details with this booklet or put them in the back pocket). Most Marie Curie Hospices have social workers, chaplains, a Family Bereavement Support Team or bereavement support services for advice and information.
If the person who has died was cared for by another local hospice, try contacting the hospice to see what support or information they can offer.
If you are looking for professional support but would prefer not to use the hospice’s services (perhaps you don’t live near the hospice, or you would find it difficult because your loved one died there), do ask if they can recommend other support services in the area.
Within your circle of family and friends, you may find that someone isn’t as supportive as you might have expected or hoped. For instance, perhaps they seem to avoid you, or change the subject whenever you mention your loss or your feelings.
Everyone reacts differently to another person’s grief just as everyone reacts differently to their own loss. It may be that they simply don’t know what to say, or are worried that if they mention the subject they will upset you. It can be very difficult for someone who hasn’t experienced bereavement to understand how strongly it can affect you, or to realise just how long you will be affected. On the other hand, perhaps it brings back memories of a loss of their own so they are too distressed to talk about the subject at all.
If someone isn’t supportive in the way you need, it doesn’t mean they don’t care about you. There may be many different reasons for their reaction. If you feel an important relationship is being affected by this, you could raise the issue or ask a trusted third party to do so. Alternatively you may decide to look to them for a different type of support.
For instance, someone who doesn’t feel comfortable discussing your feelings may be delighted to provide practical support such as babysitting or helping with a DIY job. Sometimes you may have to leave the issue unresolved – or deal with it when your loss is further behind you.
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In summary
- Everyone grieves in their own way and at their own pace. Do what is right for you - don’t worry about what other people say or do.
- Look after yourself.
- Don’t hide your feelings. Talk about them as much and as often as you need, to someone you trust.
- Keep in touch with friends and family.
- Do ask family, friends and professionals for support and assistance if you need it.
- Don’t struggle on alone.
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