When someone that you love dies, it can be one of the most difficult experiences you go through in life.  It can feel like you are left alone in the world and that nobody understands you like your loved one did.

Having intense feelings of distress and sadness after a loved one dies is often called grieving.  Everyone experiences grieving in their own way.  There is no right or wrong way to grieve.

Along with feeling distressed or sad, other common feelings, include shock, anger, worry, depression and a sense of helplessness.  When someone has been unwell for a long time before they die, you might also feel a sense of relief. 

A famous psychiatrist called Elizabeth Kübler-Ross described the change in how we feel after a loved one dies as a part of going through five different stages of grief; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.  Whilst many people may go through some or all of these stages, everyone who has a loved one die will experience grief in their own way.  While feelings can change over time and become less intense, there is no time limit on how long people will feel different emotions after a bereavement.