The journey of grief
The death of somebody we are close to leaves us with many questions, thoughts and feelings. You may feel that life will never be the same again, and in one important way, it won’t. But your life does go on, and over the next few months – maybe a year or two – you will travel a journey to that new life where you are able to live normally. You will not forget the person, and there will be times when remembering will bring back sadness, but the loneliness – emotional; as well as physical – will ease in time.
Some people feel that their own life has become meaningless, and may think about ending their life. That is not unusual – but is normally a passing thought. If you find yourself seriously thinking about suicide, then share that thought with someone you can trust such or contact an organisation such as Samaritans or Breathing Space.
Each person’s journey through grief is different. There will be times, such as anniversaries and birthdays, Christmas and holidays, when their absence is very real; but there will be other times when you may feel guilty because for a period you may have not thought about the person! There will be times when your focus is very much on what has happened, but there will be times, too, when you focus on the future and begin to make plans.
If you feel that you are not making progress, look back at how you felt a few months ago. If you worry that you cannot see any progress, then it might be time to seek some help.