Psychological effects of death of a loved one

Today, we will unveil the Psychological effects of death of a loved one. This is an essential piece since death remains inevitable.

Missing the presence of a loved one can be overwhelming, talk more of when the person dies.

Overview of the Psychological effects of death of a loved one

Getting to experience the death of a loved one can be a series of emotions falling on someone all at a time; it tends to make the psychological and emotional state of the bereaved family members, friends, or colleagues unhealthy, that is why it is good to get support and allow healing of the mind to take place.

Death is a part of our lives, that’s why people with spiritual beliefs pray for long life; death sometimes helps individuals to make the essence of their life, while some lose the meaning of life.

The death of a loved one can bring about a series of emotions on different levels, it comes with the feeling of pain, sorrow, fear, anxiety, guilt, anger, shock, weakness, humiliation, depression, despair, and sometimes regrets.

These feelings could alter the life of the bereaved, so it is necessary to get the necessary help to make meaning of life, after losing a loved one.

What The Bereaved Could Feel

After the loss of a loved one, the next emotion that proceeds is to grieve and mourn. To grief has to do with the immediate reaction after getting the news of the death of a loved one, it could be loud screams, tears, passing out, and for some, it is the feeling of numbness that comes with it.

The reaction of the individual after the news depends on the relationship with the deceased, the importance of the deceased, and sometimes, the cause and period of death.

Furthermore, the point of grief is also a determinant of the psychological state of the bereaved. If the psychological state isn’t well treated, it could lead to trauma and other deteriorating emotional feelings, one with strong emotional intelligence will quickly accept the reality of the loss and start finding means to adjust to the vacuum, although, in most times, the feeling can be unbearable, with the necessary support, and moderate mourning, the bereaved will get to find relief, it just might take a little time.

The extent of feelings that the bereaved will have will be based on the personality type, the incidence surrounding the death of the loved one, and sometimes the level of support and empathy that the bereaved gets.

For instance, a child losing a parent will hit differently on the sibling of the lost parent, in fact, the overall feelings and actions of that child can be dependent on the loss, as that is a lifelong blow, but the reality is, the living has to live and move on.

The psychological disorder tends to occur when a loved one is gone, the thought of not seeing the person again, the thought of not getting love from the person or just living without the person can be overwhelming, cases of emotional stress will stem up, loneliness, financial crisis, PTSD, lack of interest and energy are samples of disorder that the bereaved might feel.

Change of behavior is another way to pick out the psychological disorder of the bereaved. Some people might feel numb and be oblivion to happenings around them, some might become violent, sometimes irrational, while others become more gentle and might not trust people and processes. When in these down moments, it is best to remember that life is precious and you should seek support or help to aid in living a better life.

Support from family members, friends, and even professionals could go a long way in helping to handle the emotional imbalance and psychological disorder that comes with losing a dear one.

Mourning Could Be Therapeutic

Mourning has to do with the expression of sorrow. Sorrow is an emotion and needs expression, just like any other emotion. If bottled up and not expressed, it could lead to other series of complicated emotions, and maybe physical illness too.

However, the thin line to mourn excessively shouldn’t be crossed; it could lead to other losses, lack of interest in life, suicidal thoughts, despair, and illness such as stomach ulcer as the bereaved might lose interest in eating.

In cases of people losing their partner, the psychological disorder can be more intense, the story of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a perfect example. Therefore, the manner of  mourning differs from people based on the scenario and situation of the bereaved and the death

One could be wondering how mourning is sometimes therapeutic, it heals the bereaved because it allows them to express how they feel; expressing how one feels is soothing to the mind, but if bottled up, it could be more disastrous, If, in that situation, it is advised to express the down feelings, but should not get to the state of harm, simply express to heal.

Mourning allows the bereaved to accept the reality of loss, it will open one’s eyes to the fact that there is a void created, and one has to move on with courage nevertheless, it is better to express the pain, the shock, anger, and all other emotions, but disallow getting to the state of hopelessness, as life is precious, while death helps to make meaning of it.

Mourning helps one to feel the pain, process it, and think through it, these stages, of course, will come with emotional imbalance, but the difference is how one backs up for the loss and finds ways to still live and be happy.

If one avoids mourning or expressing pain after losing a loved one, it is deceitful to the mind, as the state of mind remains the same without expression, this could lead to a series of disorders, and mental illness; it could even make existing health condition worsened or cause a new sickness.

The things one might feel if mourning isn’t done could be the same if done excessively, in essence, allow yourself to feel the pain moderately, and then brace up and live.

Staying Heads Up After the Pain From the Loss of A Dear One

As earlier said, it is better to find ways to still stay alive and disallow the pain from weighing you down, the following are guidelines to stay heads up above  Psychological disorders after losing a beloved:

• Be Around Supportive People: After losing a loved one, it is better to stay with supportive individuals who can empathize with you. Your family members, friends, good neighbors, and maybe colleagues will do.
• Continue to Stay Healthy: After losing a loved one, one might be tempted to ignore the well-being and might start skipping meals, get addicted to alcohol, drugs, and junk; avoid cases like that. Staying healthy will allow you to focus on life and other loved ones around; it will also prevent health complications. Eat healthily, drink a lot of water and rest adequately.
• Talk it Out: As mentioned, the best way to heal from psychological disorders after losing a loved one is to express how you feel. Talk about your feelings, even fears to a trusted person, soothing words will relieve the clogs in your head and mind, always express to heal, never bottle it up, it can be harmful. Do not shy away from your feelings, feel it and communicate it to a trusted person who can understand and even empathize with you.
• Move On: Moving on takes courage, gathering enough strength to move on without being rash will help to heal a lot. Heal at your pace and move on from the vacuum, for instance, it’s unwise for a young adult to become jobless because of the death of a parent. Another angle is to accept that the loved person is gone, do not fight away the thought of the person, rather, feel comfortable thinking of the person, relishing good memories created together.
• Be Patient: Healing comes with processes and time, the death of a loved one can strike one with an eternal void, hence, to heal, one needs time to heal and become strong to stand the loss. In taking delicate decisions such as remarrying, selling off properties, one has to be careful as such decisions can make or mar one’s life.
• Get Support: If at some point, the feeling is overwhelming, get professional help, therapists were trained appropriately to heal people. They will assist in walking one down the lane of healing. Meanwhile, it is not a weakness to seek support, it is a big strength and a sign of a person who is certain about the things they want to get from life.

A final thought on the Psychological effects of death of a loved one

Losing a  beloved is heartbreaking no doubt, the feeling can be terrific; pain, anguish, shame, helplessness, anxiety, confusion, depression can descend on the bereaved; it’s heartbreaking no doubt, however, it is best that the bereaved mourn in moderate, express how they feel and try to heal and ease of the pain.

Seek support when necessary, stay healthy; then your state of mind and emotions will be comforted. Also, give support to any bereaved around you.

 Recommendations

Difference between depression and anxiety

Tips to restore your quality of life