Shock, Grief, Guilt and Anger are often felt by the people left behind when someone dies. All three are NORMAL. Here we will look at the shock of losing someone when they die.
Shock Of Losing Someone When They Die
The following are the NORMAL SYMPTOMS of Shock that a person can experience:
- Numbness
- Unreality
- Tenseness
- Palpations
- Dazed
- Sense of panic
- Screaming
- Panic
- Extreme Anger
It’s often accompanied by fatigue and lack of ability to eat or sleep. These symptoms of shock may last up to two weeks. There is no right time frame for these shock symptoms to subside.
Grief
Grief is something which may be experienced over a short period or last for many years.
The intensity of Grief can be affected by some of these points:
- Previous experience of Bereavement and other life crises.
- The relationship and degree of attachment to the person who has died
- Circumstances surrounding the death
- Support structures available
- Personal faith in God
- Problems that may arise after a death i.e. will affect family disagreements etc
- Physical and Mental strength before the death occurred
- Natural ability to cope
- The cause of death –is it accepted by society?
Grief is a natural process and helps people to learn to live without the person they loved and create a “NEW NORMAL.”
Helping People To Deal With Grief
- Acknowledgement
- Be genuine don’t hide your feelings
- Offer support at all times… listening helps
- Understand their grief
- Don’t try to fix the unfixable
- Identify what the needs of the person may be instead of “call me if you need anything.”
- Understand that their anger is real.
Guilt/Anger
Many people harbour guilt after a loved one dies. This can be intensified by:
- Sorrowfulness that they were not able to be there when the loved one passed away
- Regret at past actions involving the person who died
- Regret that there were things they could have done. This particularly in the case of suicide.
- People may feel guilty for years afterwards if they think they are doing something disloyal to the memory of the deceased.
- Sometimes the guilt may result in over expenditure when arranging a funeral service.
- People can feel anger for a long time particularly when this is with guilt.
Oakleigh Funeral Homes realise the importance of bereavement and the processes involved. They can recommend counselling and help if required. In particular, Oakleigh is often concerned about children who seem to be overlooked when help and understanding are needed. So please feel free to ask for an onwards recommendation from an experienced funeral director. Don’t forget that the shock of losing someone when they die is completely normal.
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