Welcome to the Southeast Funeral Care Grief Online Library
The grief process is a highly individual experience, rather than focus on a timeline it is perhaps more helpful to focus on its intensity and duration. Grief affects people physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. People may be required to make adjustments to their lives and learn new skills, at a time when they feel least able to do so.
It is important that the grieving person is assertive about their needs and wishes, and it is helpful if they communicate with family, friends, and colleagues rather than leave them guessing about what would be useful and comforting. Never underestimate the power of listening and being a warm presence.
- Helping a Friend in Grief
- Helping a Grandparent Who is Grieving
- Helping a Grieving Friend in the Workplace
- Helping a Suicide Survivor Heal
- Helping Your Family When a Member is Dying
People are individuals with personalities and life experiences, which influence the way in which they deal with grief. People's style of grieving must be respected and in this sense there is no right or wrong way of coping. However it is generally believed that the amount of support people receive can ameliorate some of the impact of grief and facilitate recovery.
Reassurance from others who have also experienced grief and an understanding of what people have commonly undergone when grieving can be a helpful yardstick.
Helping Others with Grief
Just as we all have different preferences in food and music - grief is no different. We all have different safe places. Some grieve with others - family, friends, members of a support group where others grieve more privately and in less visible ways. Some will find comfort in activities such as keeping a journal or gardening others will connect with their pain alone perhaps whilst driving or even jogging
Helping Yourself with Grief
Grief is our response to loss. It is the normal, natural and inevitable response to loss, and it can affect every part of our life, but it is varied and different for different people.
- Mustering the Courage to Mourn
- Love and Grief:
- In Communion and Greater Than the Sum of Their Parts
- Helping Yourself Heal When Someone Loved Dies
- Will I Befriend My Feelings Or Will I Deny, Repress, Or Inhibit Them?
- Helping Yourself Heal When Your Spouse Dies
- Helping Yourself Heal When Your Child Dies
- Helping Yourself Heal When Your Parent Dies
For and About Grieving Children and Teenagers
For some children, their loss or bereavement can be the first time that they have experienced profound abandonment. Don't underestimate the impact a loss has on a child even if they do not respond as expected. Reassure the child that their basic needs will be met and that over time their pain will decrease.
- How to Talk to the Children and Teens in Your Life About the Newtown, CT Tragedy
- Helping Infants and Toddlers Cope with Grief
- Helping Children Cope With Grief
- Helping Children with Funerals
- Helping Teenagers Cope with Grief
Children may not have the ability to name or express their feelings because they are not visible or concrete. Because children haven't developed buffers to pain as adults often have, the feelings they experience may be overwhelming for them. Therefore, children often express their grief through their behaviour such as separation anxiety, crying, withdrawal, bedwetting, disinterest in food, or disruptive behaviour at school.
More Information on grief support can be found at http://www.grief.org.au/