The Canadian Mental Health Association has a pamphlet on grieving and bereavement. More information can be found on their website: Canadian Mental Health Association (Italicized words below are direct quotes.)
What is Grief?
Grief (also called bereavement) is the experience of loss. People experience grief in many different ways- and experience many different thoughts or feelings during the journey.
What Can I Do About It?
-connect with caring and supportive people
-give yourself enough time. Everyone reacts differently to a loss and there is no normal grieving period.
-let yourself feel sadness, anger or whatever you need to feel
-recognized that your life has changed
-reach out for help
-holidays and important days can be very hard. Plan ahead...
-take care of your physical health
-offer support to other loved ones who are grieving
-be honest with young people about what has happened and about how you feel, and encourage them to share their feelings too
-work through difficult feelings like bitterness and blame
-make a new beginning
-think about waiting before making major life decisions
How Can I Help A Loved One?
-understand that a loved one needs to follow their own journey in their own way and express their feelings in their own way
-ask your loved one what they need and regularly remind them that you're there for support if they aren't ready to talk with others yet
-talk about the loss
-remember that grief may be bigger than the loss
-include your loved one in social activities
-help your loved one connect with support services if they experience a lot of difficulties
-take care of your own well-being and seek extra help for yourself if you need it
No comments:
Post a Comment