Death Of A Parent – How To Deal With Losing Dad Or Mom
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Also, encourage the child to talk about how they feel about the death of a parent. If the child is old enough, give him or her a journal in which to record their thoughts. Help them find healthy ways in which to express their grief and sense of loss. Accept the child’s right to grieve, and the right to grieve in his or her own way.
Finally, let the child be a child. Don’t thrust adult responsibilities on the grieving child – this can lead to a great deal of stress for the adolescent. If you find the child is not expressing the grief in a healthy manner, or you see signs of depression, seek professional help for the child.
As an adult, the loss or death of a parent is not any easier. When you reach adulthood, your parent-child relationship often takes on a much deeper role, so the sense of loss is just as keen. You are not only losing a great parent, but also a friend and confidant.
When an adult loses a parent, they will experience some of the same emotions as a child, such as feeling like an “orphan” or feeling abandoned. If you are an adult who has lost a parent, you may also be looking at your own mortality in a new light. If you are supporting an adult who has experienced the passing of a parent, there are a number of things you can do to help them through the grieving process.
First, help them recognize that they have the right to grieve. A loss of this magnitude must not be ignored. Give them time and space in which to grieve. Encourage them to take care of themselves in the process.
Losing a parent is a traumatic experience regardless of your age. With the death of a parent, you feel like you have lost a part of yourself that cannot be recovered. The death of a parent opens the door to a number of emotions; however, with support and love, you can get through the grief and reach a point where you celebrate the person’s life rather than mourn your loss.
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