Losing a loved one can be an incredibly difficult and emotional experience. You may feel as though something is missing within your home, or you might be unable to carry on with your day-to-day life as normal. Although coping with loss is a very personal experience, there are a few universal and basic steps in the grief and bereavement process to keep in mind. Knowing these steps for handling the loss of a loved one can help you better understand and work through your grief.
Allow yourself to feel whatever you need to feel
The first step in coping with the loss of a loved one is accepting that you’re going to feel many different emotions. There may be times when more than one feeling appears at once, and you might feel like you’re being overwhelmed or even going crazy. It’s crucial to let yourself know that it’s natural to feel this way, and you need to understand that there’s no “right or wrong” involved when it comes to understanding your feelings about losing your friend or family member. Don’t allow your feelings to have a negative impact on your self-esteem, just embrace them.
Gathering support
One of the most important things you can do when overcoming the loss of a loved one, is making sure that you gather as much support as possible. Though there will be times when you probably feel like you want to be alone, it’s important to have a support group around you for the times you need them most. Family, friends, a rabbi, or a minister could all help you to move through your grief process a lot easier. These people can be a crucial source of emotional support, and may assist you in moving through each stage of the grieving process in the best way possible.
Allow yourself closure
Grief and bereavement are processes, and it’s important to realize that each person has their own unique way of dealing with loss. You can’t put a time limit on grief, and you need to allow yourself to simply experience it as and when it happens naturally. A way to help you find closure is to attend a funeral, or cremation. Although these experiences can obviously be very painful and difficult, funeral services can also be emotionally rewarding, and give you a chance to say goodbye, so that you can begin to heal.
Dealing with the pain of losing a loved one
The unfortunate truth of loss is that you will never really be able to prepare for it. Whenever you lose someone close to you, it will be an extremely painful experience, and you will often feel as though you want to isolate yourself and draw away from the world. However, turning to other people for support, and embracing the different emotions you’re likely to feel on the path to recovery is crucial if you want to make sure that you move through the path of bereavement safely.
Once you have shared your loss with others, and allowed yourself to grieve, you will gradually begin to feel more normal, and you will be able to move on with your life, with the person that you loved holding a firm place in your mind and heart forever.
