One of the greatest gifts, we humans share is our ability to become attached to one another, to develop social, emotional and spiritual connections to loved ones. Attachment to others expands our sense of self. We feel that our lives are deepened through meaningful interactions with those we love. Intimacy offers us a feeling of gain, of added enrichment to our lives.
When someone we care about dies, we experience loss. Grief is the reaction to loss. Connections with family and friends can help ease that sense of loss, reminding us that other attachments remain. We may be grieving, we may be experiencing great pain and sorrow, but we have not lost everything.
The role of family and friends in the grieving process is to provide support to those who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Support may be physical, emotional, social or spiritual. Physical support can be expressed by simplifying the day-to-day demands and responsibilities of the person in grief. Covering a shift at work, helping with housework or delivering a home-cooked meal are examples of physical support.
Friends and family can provide emotional support by expressions of love and caring, and need not be overly concerned about knowing the correct thing to say. Words cannot erase loss. Simply being there to listen can provide effective emotional support. Since the grieving process is influenced by how the one grieving views death, sometimes spiritual words of comfort can help a loved one cope with loss.
When support from family and friends does not seem to be enough, encouraging those affected by the grieving process to seek professional help or to join a support group may help. Those who experience the death of a loved one can benefit from talking to others who have shared the same experience. While extended periods of sadness are common during the grieving process, health professionals can ascertain whether additional supports are required.