Dealing with Grief after a Loved One Dies: The First Week

by | Nov 23, 2018 | Funeral Services

When someone close to you dies, it most likely will initially come as a shock and surprise. The way you respond to death may differ dramatically from the way someone else does. You may weep until you feel like you cannot possibly have any more tears to spend. Or, you may be so unsettled that you do not feel anything – you may feel numb or even indifferent. Whatever form your initial response takes, you shouldn’t put too much weight into evaluating it. Everyone copes with the early stages of grief differently, and for different people, a variety of coping mechanisms may surface.

If you cannot control your emotions and cry often, it doesn’t mean you will never find consolation. If your heart feels dead or dry, it doesn’t mean you did not love the person or that a fuller measure of grief will not come later. In fact, many people in positions of responsibility often subconsciously defer grief for a later time so that they can deal with the logistics of settling the affairs of the deceased – contacting a funeral home in Middletown, dealing with the estate, even comforting other people.

In fact, for many people, the first seven days after being bereaved of someone whom we love is a time the soul summons resources to protect itself from unbearable pain and to prepare for a less intense grieving process later. Grief is a very personal and subjective process that happens in a unique way for every person who experiences it.

Mourning, on the other hand, is a public expression and usually involves complex symbolic gestures that help individual people cope with their own grief and process loss. When you talk with the representative of the funeral home in Middletown, it may be beneficial to discuss your grief and the type of memorial that would best assist the deceased person’s relatives and friends to mourn. Most funeral home directors in Middletown are fully acquainted with both the stages of personal grief and public mourning and will be able to make suggestions and assist you in preparing for the acts of closure that represent the loss of a loved one. Your funeral home in Middletown may also be able to provide other resources for you if you need help in dealing with your grief, particularly if it has adversely affected your own ability to continue to function normally in everyday life.

Finally, never be afraid to grieve. It is a normal and healthy function, and although it is painful, it is healing, as well, and at the end of the process, you will eventually find peace.

Funeral Home in Middletown – Everyone grieves differently, and the staff at your funeral home in Middletown can help you understand the process. Family-owned and operated John P. Condon Funeral Home, LLC and their specially trained funeral directors serve families in Leonardo, Atlantic Highlands, and Middletown not only in arranging an appropriate funeral service, but also during the intense period of grief throughout.

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