Bereavement

Bereavement is the process of grieving and coping with the loss of a loved one. Losing someone close to us can be a challenging and emotional experience that affects us in different ways. It is important to understand the grieving process, what to expect during bereavement, and how to cope with it.

​

Causes of Bereavement: Bereavement is caused by the loss of someone close to us. This can include the death of a family member, friend, or pet. The causes of death can vary, including natural causes, illness, accidents, or suicide.

​

Symptoms of Bereavement: Grieving is a highly individual process, and people experience it in different ways. Some common symptoms of bereavement include:

• Intense feelings of sadness, emptiness, and loneliness

• Difficulty concentrating and making decisions

• Changes in appetite and sleep patterns

• Fatigue and lack of energy

• Physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach pain, and chest tightness

• Anger, guilt, and other intense emotions

• Avoiding reminders of the deceased

• Difficulty accepting the reality of the loss

​

Stages of Bereavement: Bereavement can be described in different stages, including:

• Denial: This is the initial stage of shock and disbelief that the loss has occurred.

• Anger: This stage is characterized by feelings of frustration, blame, and anger towards oneself, others, or even the deceased.

• Bargaining: In this stage, people may try to negotiate with a higher power or with themselves, hoping to reverse or prevent the loss.

• Depression: This stage involves feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and low mood.

• Acceptance: The final stage involves accepting the reality of the loss and adapting to a new normal without the loved one.

​

Tips on coping with bereavement

​

Everyone experiences grief at some point in their life and its a painful thing to experience. The loss of a loved one is something no one wants to go through but when it happens we don't know how to control our emotions. Crying seems to be the only thing we can do, it all becomes too much to control so we end up in a moment of numbness. Mind and Sanity evolved from the loss of a loved one and building a community that shares their stories and coping mechanisms through such a painful time. 

 

Understanding the process of grief

​

The process of grief is different for everyone, some people deal with this better then others. You have to give yourself time to process to be able to move forward. The experience of loss can leave you feeling empty and alone, giving yourself time to process what has happened allows you time to heal.

 

Talking to someone, whether that be a therapist or friends and family it’s extremely important to talk about how you are feeling as this allows you to heal. Talking allows you to let go of emotions and allows you to start your journey to heal. A lot of us lock up our emotions and find it hard to tell people how we are really feeling but allowing yourself to speak about your emotions is the first steps to allowing yourself to heal.

 

Looking after yourself is the most important thing you can do, this could be through exercise, going for a walk in nature or even doing some meditation. Looking after your mental health is really important and many of us forget to take some time out for themselves. Even enjoying some retail therapy can lift your mood and help over come the feelings you are feeling.