Death comes to us all but when it’s a death that happens unexpectedly, it can often hit you like a double-decker bus. No one wants to lose their nearest and dearest but it can happen, whether it’s expected or not.
Unexpected deaths are the worst kind because there’s no preparation. For many, it can mean they didn’t get to say goodbye to that loved one and now find themselves in a position where they are left with unanswered questions and a lot of heartaches.
With all this being said, here are a few tips on how to cope with an unexpected death in life.
Embrace the emotions
Emotions are part of the grieving process and right now, you may have a lot of emotions floating around the place. It’s important to try and embrace these options as much as possible, rather than boxing them up and putting them to the back of the mind.
Not embracing the emotions is only going to put them in a powder keg that will explode at some point further down the line. Addressing them now is going to help move through that grief you’re feeling and want to move past as best as possible.
Understand that there’s a grief process
Grief is a process that comes with loss and while you’ll never get rid of that feeling of loss, the grief part can subside somewhat over time.
With grief, you’re learning to deal with it in your life, rather than trying to work toward removing it. Try to understand that grief is a process and that there are many stages of grief that will forever remain in your life.
Speak to your network of support
With grief comes a lot of emotion and that emotion needs to go somewhere. That’s why it’s helpful to have a network of support to vent your anger, sadness, and frustration toward. Just having a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to your troubles, can be the relief needed to help with this process.
Be sure to stay in touch with others so that you’re not alone.
Help with planning funeral arrangements
Planning the funeral is important and while it can feel like the last thing you want to do, it’s something that has to be done. To help yourself and to help others who may be responsible for organizing a funeral, try to get involved with the planning.
It can sometimes be cathartic to focus on the happier times with the person and what you can do to help celebrate their life and memories.
Make sure to consider what funeral services you want, approaching somewhere like www.familyfuneralservices.com.au for guidance is helpful.
Don’t force yourself to grieve quickly or move on too soon
Lastly, don’t feel forced to move on too quickly or too soon. As it’s been said, grief will always remain so how long it takes to get back to some sense of normality is up to each individual.
Coping with this type of trauma is hard but can be overcome and controlled with time.