The loss of a loved one can be an emotionally devastating experience. Everyone experiences grief a little differently when dealing with loss. Grief is normal, but if it persists and becomes something that interferes with daily life or dominates your thoughts, then it becomes unhealthy grief.
4 ways to receive support when dealing with loss
Here are four options to help support you as you mourn the loss of a loved one.
Family and Friends
Your family and friends make up your primary support system. These are the people who care deeply for you and want to be there to help you through the stages of grief. However, as the ones closest to you, they may also be mourning the same loss in a different context, which can make the support system not feel very strong.
In-Person Professional Support
Local grief counseling is a one-on-one form of therapy whereby you sit down with a professional and talk about your feelings. He/she will be also be a resource to help you understand the process of grief and learn coping strategies to deal with each stage.
An alternative or addition to grief counseling is group grief counseling, which involves a trained facilitator leading you and other group members to talk about your grief experiences and feelings. The group setting offers you access to others who are empathetic to your grief because they’re also struggling to cope with and manage their own grief.
Online Support Groups and Forums
These operate similar to the in-person support group and counseling options above. The difference is that they’re conducted online. This enables you a more broad scope of resources and professional services that may be more targeted to a specific type of grief, or rather source of grief. For example, if you lost a child to a medical condition, then you can find other parents who are experiencing the same type of loss or an online councilor who specializes in child-loss grief.
Spiritual Mediums
Unanswered questions, and unsaid things, accompany unexpected loss. These scenarios mentally tax and physically drain people. Grief isn’t limited to just sad feelings. You may experience anger, guilt, and regret. A psychic medium hotline affords you a support opportunity to ease your mind of these questions by spiritually connecting with lost loved ones so that you feel free to move forward in managing your grief.
In closing, you have support options to help you address and manage your grief, and you don’t have to choose just one. Use any or all that you’d feel might be beneficial as you traverse this difficult time in your life.
About the Writer: Emma is a freelance writer based out of Boston, MA. She writes most often on health and education. When not writing, she enjoys reading and watching film noir. Say hi on Twitter @EmmaSturgis2
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