|
Grief and Bereavement
When a death occurs, family members experience grief and mourn the loss of
a loved one. They enter a period of bereavement and experience many different
emotions of grief in the process of grieving. In some cultures they observe
a special time of mourning.
When a terminally ill person is dying, family members and friends begin a
journey through the process of grief. The grief process, which is a process
of letting go and adjusting to a life that no longer includes the person who
died, is similar to a dying person's process of adjusting to the reality that
life is coming to an end.
Grieving is often a difficult process it is one full of challenges, set backs,
disorientation, and sometimes painful emotions. As mourners go through the
process of grief they may feel as if they are traveling through a frightening,
unfamiliar, and unpredictable landscape, a landscape where the hills are too
steep to climb, and the valleys too dark to walk. However, with time and grief
work, mourners can successfully navigate their journey through grief. As they
learn to integrate the new reality of a loved one's death, mourners begin to
accommodate their grief. They begin to take up their lives once again.
The important thing to remember is that grief is not a contest. Each of us
walks the journey in our own way. While most of us are able to accept our loss
in our own way and at our own pace, there may be times when we need additional
help. With the emotional support of friends and the hospice team, most family
members can successfully navigate their journey through the process of grief.
|
|