How to Overcome Losing a Loved One

When we lose some, grief is how our bodies respond to that loss. It is the emotional, and sometimes physical pain that we experience when someone we love has been taken away from us. Usually, the pain can be incredibly overwhelming and you might be feeling a wide range of emotions from being shocked to not being able to eat anything or fall sleep. These are all normal responses to losing someone.

Coping with this kind of loss is, perhaps, the most difficult thing that you will need to do in your lifetime. But, if you need to continue living your life normally, you will want to learn how you can cope with everything. If you are sadly in this situation, this article might help you – at least a little bit. In the text below, you will learn some methods that you can use when you lose a loved one.

Before we take a look at the coping mechanisms, let’s take a look at the stages you will go through:

1. Denial – denial might happen during the ceremony or when it finishes. People often feel that this could not happen to them.

2. Anger – the next stage is, anger. You will constantly ask yourself why did this happen and you will be looking for a person to blame.

3. Bargaining – perhaps the most difficult stage is when you are constantly praying and asking for the deceased person to come back, and in return, you will do something.

4. Depression – during this stage, you might feel sad and depressed, hence, you might be overwhelmed and unable to function properly.

5. Acceptance – you should look at this as the calm after the storm. During this final step, you will finally be able to accept what occurred in your life.

It is okay if you feel everything at once. It is also okay if you skip some of the stages since everyone copes with hurt in a different way. It is important that you keep in mind that you can experience any emotion during the stages, including shock, sorrow, doubt, resentment, fear, and so on. You might also experience physical conditions or pain such as nausea, fatigue, weight gain, weight loss, aches, and insomnia.

The Coping Mechanisms You Should Try

Source: Her View From Home

1. Rely on the Individuals Closest to You

Although you may want to come off as strong, you should definitely be with the individuals that are closest to you – those individuals are usually friends and relatives. Instead of avoiding meeting them, stay close and spend some time together. Keep in mind that they will want to help you, however, you will also need to speak with them and tell them what your needs are.

If you need assistance with organizing the funeral service or if you just need someone to be around, your relatives and buddies are the best people to turn to. If you choose to do everything alone, you will need some directions with the arrangements, hence, you can check out Reverence Funeral Services.

2. Individuals Might Feel Uncomfortable When Helping a Grieving Person

Grief can be quite confusing – especially if someone who has never experienced the same thing. Someone might be uncertain about how they can comfort you, and if they say or do something wrong, do not get angry, they are, after all, trying to help. The people around you would not reach out to you if they did not care.

3. Your Emotions And Fears Need to be Dealt With

You might think that you should contain your grief, however, trust me when I say that it will not be possible to avoid it forever. If you want to begin with the healing process, you will also need to allow yourself to feel the pain. By not doing this, the process will be more difficult and you will also prolong it. Furthermore, by ignoring it, you can develop conditions like stress, substance abuse, or other, more serious help problems.

4. Express All Emotions

You can do a wide range of strategies for expressing emotions. For instance, you can take notes in a notebook about what you are feeling each day or you could fill a journal with the most important memories of his or her life. Some people also find it soothing when they take flowers to the graveyard and “talk” to the individual they lost.

Source: northernbeachespsychologistpractice.com.au

5. There Will Be Things Triggering Your Sorrow

Some things might trigger you, and these things include vacations, birthdays, anniversaries, and so on. Some people even start feeling grief again when someone offers them their condolences and sympathy – just know, this is entirely normal. You should be prepared for these things, and if you celebrate specific holidays with other family members, you should come up with plans that will honor the individual you loved.

6. Your Health Will be Everything

Taking care of your body is incredibly important, especially since you will feel better emotionally if you are healthy enough physically. Try to sleep enough, eat properly, and exercise. Also, you should never try to use alcohol, medication, or drugs to feel relief from your grief since it will only be temporary.

7. Opt For Joining a Loss Support Group

Although you might have people around, it can sometimes feel lonely – especially if someone does not know what you are feeling. However, if you share what you are feeling with someone who knows what you are feeling, it might be easier for you to go through the comping process.

8. See a Therapist

If you cannot bear your emotions, you should find a therapist to talk to. Since they are professionals in their field, they will help with guiding you through the stages, as well as overcoming any fears and problems you might have.

Source: Harvard University

Conclusion

It might seem hard or impossible to deal with losing someone that you love, however, by following the tips from this article, you might be able to help yourself at least a little bit. So, now that you know what you can do, try out some of the coping mechanisms mentioned above, and you just might feel a little bit better.