Losing someone to an untimely death is one of the hardest things in life and is never easy. While it is a difficult time, you can find ways to move on with your life and also honor your loved one.
You need to go through the grieving process. Do not try to shut off your feelings or pretend like nothing is wrong. This stage is very important in the healing process, no matter how uncomfortable you have to go through it. Although everyone experiences grief in a different way, most people experience the five stages of grief. If you familiarize yourself with these stages in advance, you will expect it and prepare yourself to deal with them. Keep in mind not everyone experiences these stages in order and you can experience more than one at a time. Here are the five stages of grief:
1. Disbelief or denial- This is the stage where you might feel numb and not show much emotion, this is because you still have not come to terms with the fact that your loved one is gone. It may not become real to you until the funeral or memorial service.
2. You will feel anger- After you start to realize your loved one is gone, you can start to feel anger and direct it at anything. You will start to try to figure out “what went wrong” and sometimes blame yourself or others even though there was nothing anyone could have done to change the situation.
3. You will feel guilt- This could be guilt about feeling as if you could have done something to prevent their death or guilt about a fight or conversation that you wish you could take back. Keep in mind that their death has nothing to do with what you did or did not do.
4. You will feel sadness and depression- This is can be the hardest and the longest stage of the process. This is where you need to make sure that you are taking care of yourself and don’t let yourself slip too far. Make sure you are sleeping and eating properly and if the emotions are too much, seek help from a professional such as a therapist or counselor.
5. Accept the death of your loved one- This is usually the final stage as you truly start to accept that they are gone and you need to learn to live life without them. Although this is hard, remember that your loved one would want you to be happy and to live life.
Remember that all these stages can go quickly or slowly; the timeline is different for everyone. Just remember to take care of yourself and reach out to others. The loss never goes away but you can recover from the experience in a healthy way. Jeffrey Pell experienced the untimely death of his good friend, who lost his battle with leukemia.
You need to go through the grieving process. Do not try to shut off your feelings or pretend like nothing is wrong. This stage is very important in the healing process, no matter how uncomfortable you have to go through it. Although everyone experiences grief in a different way, most people experience the five stages of grief. If you familiarize yourself with these stages in advance, you will expect it and prepare yourself to deal with them. Keep in mind not everyone experiences these stages in order and you can experience more than one at a time. Here are the five stages of grief:
1. Disbelief or denial- This is the stage where you might feel numb and not show much emotion, this is because you still have not come to terms with the fact that your loved one is gone. It may not become real to you until the funeral or memorial service.
2. You will feel anger- After you start to realize your loved one is gone, you can start to feel anger and direct it at anything. You will start to try to figure out “what went wrong” and sometimes blame yourself or others even though there was nothing anyone could have done to change the situation.
3. You will feel guilt- This could be guilt about feeling as if you could have done something to prevent their death or guilt about a fight or conversation that you wish you could take back. Keep in mind that their death has nothing to do with what you did or did not do.
4. You will feel sadness and depression- This is can be the hardest and the longest stage of the process. This is where you need to make sure that you are taking care of yourself and don’t let yourself slip too far. Make sure you are sleeping and eating properly and if the emotions are too much, seek help from a professional such as a therapist or counselor.
5. Accept the death of your loved one- This is usually the final stage as you truly start to accept that they are gone and you need to learn to live life without them. Although this is hard, remember that your loved one would want you to be happy and to live life.
Remember that all these stages can go quickly or slowly; the timeline is different for everyone. Just remember to take care of yourself and reach out to others. The loss never goes away but you can recover from the experience in a healthy way. Jeffrey Pell experienced the untimely death of his good friend, who lost his battle with leukemia.