How To Grieve The Loss of a Loved One 

Updated on March 4, 2020

If you’ve lost a loved one, you know it’s a particularly painful process. Whether your loved one was young and healthy or older and passed away in hospice, the trauma never gets easier to cope with. Asides from the obviously emotional aspects of it, there are obviously practical things to get out of the way as well.

Death is never easy on the living. For some people, it’s about distributing belongings. For others, there are bigger matters like estate and planning. The attorneys at schertz estate planning law firm have sufficient experience dealing with these matters, as do other firms. You should find the firm you’re most comfortable with and they will help you through the whole process. 

Now onto the more emotional side of it. Losing a loved one can be a heavily burdened and very traumatic time. While dealing with loss can be a deeply personal experience, there are a few simple and universal steps to the bereavement and grief process. Learning these steps will help you work through your sorrow over a loved one’s death. Keep reading to find out what these are.

#1: Let Yourself Feel It

Coping with a loved one’s death brings up nearly every possible emotion. There are moments when more than one emotion appears to take over at once, and you may feel as if you’re “going crazy.” It’s natural to feel this way, as having a number of different emotions is normal. 

In your time of bereavement and mourning, remind yourself that your emotions are yours, and they are well within the norm. It’s crucial for you to realize, that when it comes to your feelings about losing a loved one, there’s no “right” or “wrong.”

#2: Lean On Your Support System

While there may be occasions when you cope with loss and when you want to be alone, gathering a support group around you for those times when you might need them is crucial. Friends, family, even a minister or rabbi and maybe a therapist are all people who can and should be kept close during your grief process.

Where appropriate, these individuals may be a source of emotional support as well as physical needs. The death of a loved one often leaves a large void in the survivor’s life which can be replaced by a support team, at least temporarily. 

#3: Embrace and Let Go

Bereavement is a process and so is grief. It is important to know that each person has their own way to cope with loss. You can’t set your grief to a time limit. You have to let yourself feel the stages of grief as they emerge. You will move through some painful times before you settle to accepting what has happened. 

Although “acceptance” is the final stage of bereavement and mourning, this just means coming to terms with the finality of the loss, and then going forward with your life. It does not mean that you may not experience some of the above-mentioned stages from time to time but rather that the loss and suffering will become more manageable.

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.