Grief

Journeying through grief

After Funeral Care

Grief is a natural response to loss. Grief can be identified as the emotional suffering you experience when someone or something you love is taken away and normally the more significant the loss the more intense the grief will be. It’s important to remember that grief and mourning is a process and not an event.

Losing a family member, friend or someone you deeply care about is very painful. During this time, you may experience a number of emotions as you respond to the pain and sadness you are feeling. While this time is difficult, it’s important to remember that these are normal emotions that people experience as part of their loss.

Coping after the funeral

There is no right or wrong way to grieve but there are healthy ways to cope as you journey through grief. There are many resources, such as books, that you can use to help understand and cope with grief. Coping with Grief by Mal McKissock and Experiencing Grief by H. Norman Wright are two books that we recommend. Please also find a list of helpful contacts below:

24 Hour Grief Support Line: 02 9489 6644

Bereavement Care Centre: 1300 654 556

The Compassionate Friends: 02 9290 2355

Grieflink: www.grieflink.asn.au

Bereavement Care Centre: www.bereavementcare.com.au

Sids & Kids: www.sidsandkids.org

The Six Needs of Mourning

During our journey through grief and mourning, we all encounter six needs we must meet if we are to heal:

Grief
  1. Acknowledge the reality of the death
  2. Embrace the pain of the loss
  3. Remember the person who died
  4. Develop a new self-identity
  5. Search for meaning
  6. Receive support from others

Author, educator, and grief counsellor Dr. Alan Wolfelt is known across North America for his inspirational teaching gifts. His compassionate messages about healing in grief speak not only to the intellect, but to the hearts of all who hear him.

Common myths surrounding grief

Grief should last about a year.

There is no specific time frame for grieving to begin or end. How long it takes can differ from person to person.

The pain will go if you ignore it.

Trying to ignore your pain or keep it from surfacing will only make it worse in the long term. For real healing, it is necessary to face your grief and actively deal with it.

It’s important to be “be strong” in the face of loss.

Feeling sad, frightened, or lonely is a normal reaction to loss. Crying doesn’t mean you are weak. You don’t need to “protect” your family or friends by putting on a brave front. Showing your true feelings can help them and you.

Grief and mourning are the same experience.

Grief is the internal thoughts and feelings we experience when someone we love dies. Mourning, on the other hand, is taking the internal experience of grief and expressing it outside ourselves.