Grief
Information
Here you’ll find answers to some common questions concerning grief.
Select the underlined questions below to see more.
What is grief?
How might I feel after loss?
How could if affect me?
Myths and Facts
What is grief?
Serious loss is something which we all face, at some time, in our lives. It can be the death of someone close to us – including a much loved pet. Grief is a very intense and complex personal experience, and it can affect you in many different ways.
Losing someone close to you can be a highly distressing experience and is usually accompanied by a wide range of strong emotions. Everyone who experiences a loss will cope with it in lots of different way and there is no ‘usual’ way to cope.
It is important to know that grief is a process and there is no time limit or deadline on recovering or feeling better. Take the time to deal with your grief—even though you may feel that you need to return to normal day to day life. You may feel like you will never get over a loss. You won’t feel better all at once, but it will start to get easier over time
How might I feel after loss?
Coping with the loss of someone, or something, you love is one of life’s biggest challenges. You may associate grief with the death of a loved one, but any loss can cause grief, including:
- Loss of health
- Losing a job
- Divorce or relationship breakup
- A miscarriage
- Death of a pet
- Loss of a friendship
It is very difficult to predict how you might feel after a loss as it is a very individual process. After a loss you may experience the following:
How could if affect me?
Grief could affect you in a lot of different ways and everyone may experience something different. Here are some things that can be affected:
Myths and Facts
Coping with
There are lots of strategies and support available. Below are some of the things that may help to manage your grief
The following buttons are self-help suggestions
Finding help
Who can you talk to?
- GP
- Mental health professional
Select the underlined topics below to view what resources are available.
Useful apps and tools
Helpful websites or services
Useful apps and tools
Helpful websites or services
Getting more help
If you haven’t already found the help you’re looking for, you can find additional information and services which are more interactive here.
Select the underlined topics below to view what resources are available.
Helplines
Local services
National support organisations
Helplines
Local services
We’re still looking for the right resources for this area. We hope to find some soon.
National support organisations
Many people may feel like they shouldn’t feel as upset as they are, but it is a normal response to grief. It’s normal to feel lost or vulnerable, so give yourself permission to feel that way. There is nothing wrong with taking some time for yourself or crying if you need to.
Talk about memories of your loved ones, share stories with people who knew and cared about them. This may help you to remember that you are still the same person and remember that their influence is still there.
Unfortunately, grieving a loss is an inevitable part of life.