Coping with bereavement After the death of someone close, most people experience grief and go through a period of mourning. How you grieve may be affected by a number of factors, such as your relationship with the deceased, the way your loved one died, your age, gender, beliefs, cultural background, previous losses and your personality. Whilst many of your feelings after bereavement will be very personal to you, there are a number of recognised reactions that you may experience. If you are finding your reactions difficult to cope with our Family Support Team is here to help. There are two recognised reactions to bereavement: Loss – allowing yourself the feelings and emotions caused by your bereavement and wanting to come to terms with your loss. Restoration – wanting to take actions to rebuild your life, such as sorting out your loved one’s affairs, going back to work, participating in social activities and learning new skills to help deal with the situation. Complexity of emotions However you focus yourself following your bereavement, it’s likely that the death of your loved one may be a source of stress, which can show itself both physically and emotionally.
www.westonhospicecare.org.uk
17
