{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"","standfirst":"There\u2019s no right or wrong way to feel following a bereavement. We\u2019ve put together some advice that we hope will help anyone who\u2019s struggling to know what to do.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/6449/timmodule.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvice for coping with bereavement\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s no right or wrong way to feel following a bereavement and there\u2019s no \u2018one size fits all\u2019 approach to supporting someone who\u2019s experiencing bereavement either. It\u2019s really normal to feel overwhelmed \u2013 especially right now, when everything\u2019s so different.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve put together some advice that we hope will help anyone who\u2019s struggling to know what to do.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECoping with your own feelings \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFirstly, it\u2019s important to remember that different people will feel different things at different times. People sometimes talk about the stages of the grief cycle: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn reality, people may start at any of the stages and move backwards and forwards depending on their thoughts and feelings, and other things that happen in their lives. Not everyone will go through all of the stages. Be gentle with yourself (and anyone you\u2019re supporting) and give yourself the time you need.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s up to you how you remember the person who\u2019s died. You may decide to hold a memorial service when the government says such things are safe, or use technology to share memories in the meantime.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemember, you\u2019re not alone. Other people who\u2019ve been affected may want to share feelings and memories, and friends or family who didn\u2019t know the person who\u2019s died are often really important sources of support too. If you think you need further support, for example, if grief\u2019s impacting on your daily life, we\u2019ve included some suggestions below.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHelping young people cope with bereavement\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany adults who are coping with bereavement also find themselves supporting children and young people who have feelings of their own.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETalking to young people about death can be hard. It\u2019s best to use simple and direct language that\u2019s appropriate for their age \u2013\u0026nbsp;avoid euphemisms like \u2018we lost\u2019 or \u2018they\u2019ve gone to a better place\u2019 as they can cause confusion. You don\u2019t need to go into detail (especially when it\u2019s upsetting) but clear language such as \u2018their heart stopped beating\u2019 or \u2018their brain stopped working\u2019 is a good way to explain.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECheck that people have understood the message, and answer questions as openly and honestly as you can. You may want to reassure people that it\u2019s not their fault, and that it doesn\u2019t mean they (or anyone else they know) will die too.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re talking to a young person with additional needs, it\u2019s especially important to be clear and avoid euphemisms. You could use a \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://prod-umbraco-core.azurewebsites.net/media/6360/comic-strip-conversation.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Comic strip conversation\u0022\u003Ecomic strip conversation\u003C/a\u003E to explain what\u2019s happened and help them to understand their emotions (and other people\u2019s feelings too).\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYoung people may want to find their own ways to remember the person who\u2019s died. They could make a \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.winstonswish.org/how-to-use-a-memory-box-with-bereaved-children-and-young-people/\u0022\u003Ememory box\u003C/a\u003E with letters, photographs, and objects that help them remember the happy times they had with the person who\u2019s died. They could also make a memory wall full of pictures, photos, and written down messages.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYoung people are often full of creative ideas (even when they\u2019re going through really tricky times), so why not as them how they\u2019d like to remember the person who\u2019s died? You may need to plan some activities for \u2018now\u2019 and some for \u2018later\u2019, when certain restrictions have been lifted.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs with adults, if grief\u2019s impacting on a young person\u2019s daily life, it may be time to reach out for more help. We\u2019ve included some suggestions below.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFurther support \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome people cope with a bereavement with the help of their usual support networks, others find that grief and sadness impact their daily lives and they need to ask for more help. Everyone\u2019s different, and there\u2019s plenty of support out there for anyone who needs it. For many people, speaking to their GP is the first step. They may refer you to a local mental health support service or bereavement counselling.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot everyone will want to speak to their GP though (and that\u2019s OK). Those who do may find that there\u2019s a long delay between asking for help and receiving support. Several charitable organisations exist to support people going through bereavement (or feeling anxious and down).\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere are some organisations that support people across the UK \u2013 there may be other smaller organisations working in your local area.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.cruse.org.uk/\u0022\u003ECruse\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECruse is the UK\u2019s largest bereavement charity. They provide free care and bereavement counselling to people suffering from grief. If you\u2019re in Scotland, check out \u003Ca href=\u0022http://www.crusescotland.org.uk/\u0022\u003ECruse Bereavement Care Scotland\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.childbereavementuk.org/\u0022\u003EChild Bereavement UK \u003C/a\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChild Bereavement UK supports families and educates professionals when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.hopeagain.org.uk/\u0022\u003EHope Again \u003C/a\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHope again is a website from Cruse bereavement care. It\u2019s specifically for young people who have been bereaved or are facing grief and loss.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.winstonswish.org/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWinston\u2019s Wish\u003C/strong\u003E \u003C/a\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWinston\u2019s Wish is a childhood bereavement charity in the UK. The charity offers a wide range of practical support and guidance to bereaved children, their families and professionals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.griefencounter.org.uk/\u0022\u003EGrief Encounter\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGrief Encounter is a Child Bereavement Charity. They support children and their families through the pain caused by the death of someone close to them.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.autism.org.uk/directory/browse/cid=15~aid=1.aspx\u0022\u003ESpecialist autism counsellors\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe National Autistic Society have a directory of specialist autism counsellors who are available to support autistic people through bereavement and grief.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/get-urgent-help/youngminds-crisis-messenger/\u0022\u003EYoung Minds crisis line \u003C/a\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Young Minds crisis line is a free 24/7 support service for young people facing a mental health crisis.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/bereavement/support-and-self-care/#collapsea3be1\u0022\u003EMind\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur friends at Mind have prepared some resources on \u0027self-care\u0027 while supporting other people through bereavement. \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.samh.org.uk/\u0022\u003ESAMH\u003C/a\u003E supports people in Scotland, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.inspirewellbeing.org/\u0022\u003EInspire\u003C/a\u003E is there for people in Northern Ireland.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.samaritans.org/\u0022\u003ESamaritans\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Samaritans provide a 24-hour phone service. Anyone can call them to discuss anything that\u2019s on their mind.\u0026nbsp;They also have options for emailing and writing letters.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"02 May 2020","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":50755,"nodeName":"Advice for coping with bereavement","title":"Advice for coping with bereavement","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/6449/timmodule.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd0be265e0","caption":"Timmodule","type":"jpg","size":666645,"width":1920,"height":1080,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Advice for coping with bereavement","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC81MDc1NSJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2020/may/advice-for-coping-with-bereavement/"}