For the majority of people, life changes significantly when you lose a loved one. Interests and pastimes you have enjoyed as a couple may seem less appealing without your other half. On top of this, simple household tasks that were usually performed by your partner can be overwhelmingly difficult.
Grief, and the mourning process, affects each of us differently; there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to feel, and people can be impacted physically as well as emotionally if they are struggling to cope.
But it is important to understand that grieving is a process, and so those feelings will change. There is also a host of organisations out there that can help you if you are bereaved. At Porteous Family Funeral Directors, our team is always happy to have a cuppa and a chat if you need us, but equally we know that people need more.
As proud members of the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF), we offer SAIF Care, a free bereavement service that provides guidance and advice as well as access to trained specialist counsellors. You can find more about the scheme here.
Community groups can also be a great source of interest and comfort, and many people choose one with which they were not previously familiar, in order to meet new people. That could be anything from the local women’s institute to a sports club, or even something in the field of arts and entertainment.
If your need is more immediate and you feel you need help coping, then grief counsellors are always available – a simple online search will easily elicit contact details for someone to talk to. Though social media comes in for its share of criticism, it can also be a rich resource if you are looking to reach out to someone.
There is a wealth of organisations to be found online which offer support to adults and families. Many of these will have helplines or online chat services or can even arrange digital ‘meet-ups.’ Some organisations arrange for local groups of people to get together to share a tea or coffee, have a slice of cake and talk to others about loss and death and what they are going through. Many of these are charities and are run by volunteers, so you can be sure of a sympathetic ear. Many of these organisations are listed on the National Society of Allied and
Independent Funeral Directors’ Funeral Advice website and can be viewed here.
And as is so often the case, our wonderful NHS can be a useful place to turn for help. As well as being able to recognise and deal with some of the symptoms bereaved people feel, they can also offer practical advice on everything from signposting you to a health professional or counsellor to finding out about how to sleep better or seeking peer support.
You can find out how they may be able to help with mental and physical health issues at www.nhs.uk, where you can search for grief and bereavement.
The Porteous Family Funeral Directors team is here too; we always see our role as providing ongoing support. We are a long-established and trusted member of our community, and our first duty is to you, our client – no matter what stage of the grieving process you are at.
