Free essay on where would you go for resources to help you deal with your own grief

Sometime in our life we experience different sources of unhappiness, grief and sadness and every person react and cope with grief in a different manner. While grief may connote the feeling of sadness and anxiety, each has his own unique grief experiences that not every grieving person would experience all the time (Houben, 2012). At this lowest point in my life where grief is inevitable such as losing a loved one, the most common sources where I get strength and comfort in times of grief are my family and close friends.
The strongest bond of family ties can essentially improve one’s ability to cope with grief. I choose my family as the source of my strength in managing my grief due to this very reason. They are likely to be empathetic and understanding to a family member who is undergoing through some form of grief. There is no need to communicate how I feel. They instantly connect with me and I believe that they are very effective as support group in helping me overcome my grief. However, if the cause of my grief is a loved one or a loss of a family member, my family may also be as vulnerable as I am while dealing with our grief and they might not be as effective of a support group especially when they too have to deal with their own grieving process. That is why close friends always come helpful. Grieving is a long process (Lifecare, 2001) and my friends are always there to provide me comfort and support no matter how long my recovery process from grief will take. According to Lehmann, Jimerson and Gaasch (2001), a grief support group should be designed in providing support to the one grieving and not one of therapy. Friends are effective in helping me cope with grief because they are not considered as professional therapists to help me but more of a personal support group that are present to help me go through the natural process of recovery from grief.

References

Houben, L. M. (2012). A holistic approach to counseling Hispanics through loss, grief and bereavement. A guide for mental health professionals. New York: Springer Publishing.
Lehmann, L., Jimerson, S. R. and Gaasch, A. (2001). Grief support group curriculum facilitator’s handbook. New York: Routledge.
Lifecare (2001). A Lifecare guide to helping others cope with grief. Retrieved from http://www. foh. dhhs. gov/NYCU/copingtips. pdf