After Funeral Care

Coping after
the funeral

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. 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.

COPING WITH LOSS AFTER SUICIDE

Losing a loved one through suicide can bring up many different and unique emotions. We have put together a short list of resources that can assist you with trying to understand your loss and hopefully to begin to help you heal including:

• www.supportaftersuicide.org.au
• www.unitedsynergies.com.au/program/standby-response-service
• www.kidshelp.com.au
• www.mindhealthconnect.org.au/grief-loss
• childhoodgrief.org.au

Common myths
surrounding grief

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.

The pain will go away faster 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.

If you don’t cry, it means you aren’t feeling sorrow

Crying is a normal response to sadness, but it is not the only one. Those who do not cry may feel the pain just as deeply as others. They may simply have other ways of showing it.

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.