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“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; If we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome”- ~Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672) |
| “Springtime” |
Survive grief…
You might just be a rare individual! By that we mean: well-adjusted, strong, resilient. You might have a relatively short mourning period; not require any help other than the support of close family during the early stages of grief. You may emerge ready to embrace life again without any of the complications of grief mentioned here in our website.
Then, there’s the rest of us normal people. Almost everyone has some degree of “complication” during their own private grief journey, and require some help to cope and progress as they should. It might be as simple as a comforting book to give you a new perspective on your tragedy, or sharing in an online grief forum.
Maybe meeting monthly with a local support group would provide you with just the social and emotional support you need. Or you may find yourself mired down in a true clinical depression and require professional counseling and/or medication to help pull you out of the pit.
There are a lot of caring people, practical information and professional resources available to help you. Use them all if necessary! Grief is hard, and most people find that although they were reluctant at first, some of the resources listed below actually became their lifeline to sanity!
Warning Signs & Professional Help
Survive grief
Grief is not a mental illness. You are supposed to be sad as you mourn. It is an expected response, not a sign of clinical depression, although mourning can lead to a true reactive depression if you are susceptible.
Learn how to tell the difference between grief and depression here: REACTIVE DEPRESSION. And get some PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING if needed.
Local Support Groups
Survive grief
In the early stages of grief, family and friends will naturally gather to provide support during the customary mourning rituals. But later on in your mourning, when the shock has worn off, and you truly start to feel the enormity of your loss, most of the social support is gone.
And your close friends will likely start to become uncomfortable listening to you express your grief. They secretly hope you will “get over it” soon and be back to your old fun self. Grief is just not that easy.
Local support groups can provide some much needed solace and direction when you need it most. Only those who have been through what you have can lend a sympathetic ear and share their compassionate wisdom with you. Find one in your area here: LOCAL SUPPORT GROUPS.
Online Forums, Support Groups & Resources
Have you ever participated in an online forum? They can be wonderful, a great resource of practical advice from the many diverse people who care enough to contribute. Most of the ones I have participated in were truly classy, and I found many new ideas and gained emotional support from them.
You will find that there are many good and generous people out there by participating in a forum. Try one of the online resources in our list, and keep going ’til you find the one that “feels right” for you. You have nothing to lose by giving it a try.
We are very proud of the success and popularity of our own grief forum, now available to you through the exclusive Grief Club.
We also have included some online support groups, informational links and memorial posting sites for you to explore. Click through to ONLINE FORUMS & RESOURCES.
Grief and Loss Books
Survive grief
There are also some most excellent grief and loss books out there. You may find some much needed guidance and comfort from a good grief book.
We have provided a short list of volumes that have been routinely recommended by others who have suffered a grievous loss. Check them out here: GRIEF AND LOSS BOOKS.
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