Losing Loved Ones

A friend of mine recently lost her mother and it lead me to think about how people deal with losing a loved one. I have lost several family members in the past, but no one in my immediate family. I have lost 2 grandfathers, a grandmother and a great-grandmother. Although it hurts, you are consoled somewhat by the fact that you know that they have lived a full life and they are no longer suffering if they were ill.  Losing a young child to illness or a friend to suicide is wholly unlike losing one’s aging parent to natural causes.

Grief reaction it differs according to the survivor’s personality, cultural and religious beliefs, coping skills and support system, as well as the circumstances of the death. There are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.These steps are on a linear timeline, but not everyone goes through all of them; not everyone experiences this order.

Losing someone or something you love is very painful. After a significant loss, you may experience all kinds of difficult and surprising emotions, such as shock, anger, and guilt. Sometimes it may feel like the sadness will never let up. While these feelings can be frightening and overwhelming, they are normal reactions to loss. Accepting them as part of the grieving process and allowing yourself to feel what you feel is necessary for healing.