Support for the loss of a loved one is essential to the process of healing.The mourning and grieving process is something that no one can prepare you for. It does not matter whether you lose someone unexpectedly or someone has passed away from old age, it can hit you like a tonne of bricks. No one can tell you how to deal with the loss of a loved one but together we can help one another with the journey.
Dealing with grief is something that there is no magic formula for. Everyone is different. We all grieve in different ways. We all experience loss in different ways as well. There is no right or wrong approach. All we can do is try different techniques and ways of thinking to help us get through this extremely challenging period.
Grieving is a process that we each express differently. Finding what works for you should be part of the journey.Below, we will look at some advice on how to deal with the loss of a loved one. From physical symptoms to mental disorders, complicated grief can manifest in many ways, which is why emotional support is a must.
Some people do not grieve for a while, and then it hits them. After all, there is no telling when the loss of a loved one can really hurt and cut deeply.
Yes, we all expect to grieve within the period following the loss of someone but there are some people whose biggest period of grief comes a lot later in life. This is known as complicated grief, and it can cause major depression and mental health issues if you do not get the help you need.
Grief is unique to the person and can impact their mental health in different ways
As mentioned, these intense feelings are always unique to the person in question and it is important to remember this. There is no right or wrong way to grieve for someone you have lost. There is no right or wrong way to feel. There is no timeline. There is no magic formula.
Grief is different for all family members or bereaved parents, and we often do not have any clue regarding how we are going to cope with grief or how we are going to feel until it happens.
People may behave differently from you and this may alarm you but you need to remember that they are on a different journey. They may have the same relation to the person as you did but this does not mean that they are going to grieve in the same way.
Also, you do not know how they grieve or how they feel when they are behind closed doors.
It is important, therefore, to focus on your own journey and tune into your feelings rather than look at what everyone else is doing.
Don’t take people’s words to heart
In the same breath, you need to have this approach when other people try to give you advice about traumatic grief. Yes, their intentions will be good and they are trying to help you to get through this challenging and heartbreaking period in your life. However, if you do not agree with what they are saying or their advice does not resonate with you, there is nothing wrong with this.
It doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with you or that you are handling the grief process incorrectly. It simply means that you have a different approach.
Support is more than just words. You can comfort each other in even the simplest of ways.Look after yourself and be mindful of any signs of mental illness
Aside from recognizing that the journey of grief is a very unique one, it is also important to make sure that you take care of yourself. This means taking care of yourself physically as well as emotionally. They go hand-in-hand, and looking after your body can actually really help you to look after your mind in this instance.
This is why we would highly recommend that you continue to follow a healthy and balanced diet and exercise regularly. If you do not treat your body well, it is only going to make your mind feel words and this will make it even more difficult to deal with the grieving process.
Exercising can offer huge benefits
Therefore, while exercising may feel like the last thing that you care about and the last thing that you want to do right now, really try and force yourself to go for a walk, run, or jump on the exercise bike and we promise you that you will feel a lot better for doing so. It can also help if you have trouble sleeping.
Consider a bereavement support group or looking for local mental health professionals
Finally, it is important to recognize that there is support available and that it can be helpful when someone has grief symptoms. It is easy to feel like this feeling is going to last forever.
Some people even feel like they want to grieve forever because they do not feel like it is right for them to move on with their lives when the person that they love so much is no longer on the planet with them. While this is understandable, it is important to realize that things do get better and there is help that is available.
Seek professional help
If you do not want to speak to friends or family, then we would highly recommend that you speak to someone who is trained in bereavement counseling. This is the preferred route to go down for a lot of people because they will be talking with professionals and they will be speaking with someone who has an objective point of view and did not know the person who passed away.
Simply talking with someone else and getting these feelings off your chest can be beneficial and, of course, the bereavement counselor will give you some excellent strategies that can help you to cope with the loss that you have encountered.
Final words on dealing with the loss of a person’s life
As you can see, it is important to seek help if you are struggling with grief and it’s also important to recognize that everyone’s journey is different.
If you are not grieving as much as other people, that does not mean that you do not care or that you are insensitive. It could be that your grief period has not yet arrived and this may happen at a later date due to a certain trigger. Therefore, keep in mind the advice that we have provided above and use this to help you through that period.
