Bereavement and Loss

What is grief?

Every time life changes, even when that change is good, something else is lost. Loss is a big part of life.  Grief is the journey we go through while we are trying to come to terms with having lost something or someone that was important to us.  There are times in life that we are more likely to feel loss, like:

• a relationship ending
• moving to a new area
• changing your job
• when your children leave home, if you are a parent
• retiring
• your health getting worse
• a person or animal you care about dying.

It can be very difficult when someone we care about dies or is seriously ill. Different people experience loss in different ways, so someone else’s grief journey might be very different to our own experiences. There’s no right or wrong way to feel, but it’s natural to have strong emotions. People can feel deeply sad, confused, numb, scared about the future, or out of control. They might even feel like they’ll never be okay again. It’s really tough but these feelings will change over time.

Take a look at this video from the BBC

Tips for supporting a friend or family member who is grieving:

• Everyone’s experience of grief is different. Listen to them and try to understand what they are feeling.
• Let them know that you would like to hear some of their memories of the person who died, if/when they feel ready to tell you.
• Offer to help them with practical things, like making them some dinner or offering to look after their children for a few hours.
• Remember that anniversaries like birthdays and special days can be particularly hard emotionally. Reach out and see how they are at these times.
• Don’t worry if they tell you that they talk to the person who has died. This is very common and is usually a healthy part of the grief process.
• If their grief has been affecting their life in a serious way for more than a few months encourage them to seek help.
• Look after yourself. Supporting someone who is grieving can be hard especially if you are grieving too. Make sure that you have support and ask for help if you need it.