How to cope with complex grief

LOCKDOWN HAS COMPLICATED MATTERS BY DELAYING THE GRIEVING PROCESS

With grief there is no ‘correct’ way or time to process your feelings when someone passes away.

During lockdown, the way that we can say goodbye to loved ones has changed.

Delayed, or complicated, grief is the late or prolonged reaction to losing someone close. This can happen if you weren’t able to say goodbye or the loss was sudden or unexpected, so it’s really relevant to talk about this now.

In a recent survey, over 80,000 bereaved families* who have lost a loved one during lockdown said their grief process has been negatively affected by the restrictions in place. This could lead to many of us experiencing a prolonged period of mourning – for months, or even years.

Fortunately, Co-op Funeralcare is here to help and can also signpost you to local sources of support.

For further support and guidance visit coop.co.uk/ bereavementadvice

How to process your feelings

After someone dies it’s common to feel shock or numbness. You might struggle to eat or sleep, and feel generally low. Once this passes, a wave of emotions may hit you that can be triggered by anything and at any time.

The following can help you…

Talk to family and friends, make sure you eat and get some exercise, don’t isolate yourself and avoid drinking too much alcohol.

Allow yourself to feel whatever you’re feeling. You need time to work through this.

Never feel ashamed to reach out for professional help.

Meditation could help you to process your feelings.