Grief and Bereavement
People cope with the loss of a loved one in different ways. Most people who experience grief will cope well. Others will have severe grief and may need treatment. There are many things that can affect the grief process of someone who has lost a loved one.
They include:
- The personality of the person who is grieving
- The relationship with the person who died
- The grieving person’s coping skills and mental health history
- The amount of support the grieving person has
- The grieving person’s cultural and religious background
Bereavement is the period of sadness after losing a loved one through death. Grief and mourning occur during the period of bereavement. Grief and mourning are closely related. Mourning is the way we show grief in public. The way people mourn is affected by beliefs, religious practices, and cultural customs. People who are grieving are sometimes described as bereaved. Grief is the typical process of reacting to a loss.
Common grief reactions include the following:
- Feeling emotionally numb
- Feeling unable to believe the loss occurred
- Feeling anxiety from the distress of being separated from a loved one
- Mourning along with depression
- A feeling of acceptance
Helping a child after a parent's death - American Cancer Society
Resources
Hope Hospice
Phone: 239-482-4673 OR 1-800-835-1673