Table of Contents
Introduction
The natural response towards the loss of a loved is grief. Grief is actually suffered when a member of a family dies leaving emotional distress among the bereaved. The grief becomes very intense when the loss of the loved one is very significant (Dyregrov & Dyregrov, 2008). Inasmuch as there are no right or improper ways of grieving, many propose proper ways of dealing with the loss which when handled timely can regenerate the moods of the bereaved member thus helping him or her to accept and move on. Grieving depends on the person and essentially it is an individual experience.
The Grieving Process
The grieving process is dependent of a number of factors including but not limited to personality, experiences in life, and the nature of the loss as well as the style of dealing with grief itself (Bsn, 2010). The process of grieving is a long one since once a person is bereaved; he or she takes a gradual process in a bid to heal the loss. The healing process thus cannot be forced or done haphazardly. It is prudent that the grieving process should be left to unravel through the natural means (Jeffreys, 2011).
In the event that grieving takes place on and on, it leads to very chronic depression or in some instances the bereaved gets stuck in the process of grieving called denial that at times may need the assistance of a professional. A significant part of the healing process is getting people to stay close to the bereaved making the member accept the emotions that arise due to the loss of the family or friend.
When a member dies, the bereaved members experience the feeling of denial as well as shock. The people close to the bereaved member need to come in and make sure the loss does not make the grieving member experience the severe intensity of the dead member. The neighboring people take some action of making the bereaved to accept the impact as the disbelief fades. Death is the most difficult experience to deal with. The bereaved undergo very intense as well as terrifying emotions (Jeffreys, 2011). In most cases, the bereaved have the feeling of loneliness in the grieving process. The process of bereavement and grief thus requires that there is a person to lean on and assist them throughout the grieving process.
In most instances, people fear approaching a grieving person. As a matter of advice, discomfort is not supposed to preclude one from reaching out for a bereaved person. It is the best period to offer emotional support. At times a person may not know what to do or utter to the bereaved but it is no harm (Dyregrov & Dyregrov, 2008). During the process of comforting the grieving person one does not have to be fully armed with answers or rather offer pieces of advice. The most significant gift to the grieving person is being there for him or her (presence), support and a caring availability will be helpful in making the bereaved deal with the loss of a loved one and have time to heal.
There are very good ways of dealing with a grieving person. It is not proper to start asking the bereaved questions about the dead ones if he or she is not willing to share. It is just nice to be willing to sit in silence, accept the feelings of the bereaved by making become aware that it is okay for them to grief in front of you. When comforting a grieving person, it is prudent to let the grieving person to discuss how the beloved one died. Share with the bereaved your own experience if it will be of help (Bsn, 2010). Nonetheless, it is not essential to advance advice to the bereaved that is uncalled for.
- Bsn, C. A. S. R. (2010). Growth through Loss and Change, Volume II: How to Grieve Without Undue Fear. Trafford Publishing.
- Dyregrov, A., & Dyregrov, K. (2008). Effective Grief and Bereavement Support: The Role of Family, Friends, Colleagues, Schools and Support Professionals. Jessica Kingsley Publishers
- Jeffreys, J. S. (2011). Helping Grieving People – When Tears Are Not Enough: A Handbook for Care Providers. Routledge