As you grieve over the loss of your parent, your mother or father is grieving over the loss of their life partner. For many, their spouse has been an extension of them for many years and now at the end of their life they often feel incomplete and lost, and some describe the feeling as dead themselves. However, your remaining parent is still very much alive and they will be experiencing what living assistance services describes as the stages of grief. Psychologist have identified five stages of grief:
- Denial
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
Despite the fact that psychologists have identified these five stages, living assistance services providers suggest that these phases can fluctuate from day to day, if not minute to minute. With time, the waves of emotions will find a balance. Your parent is a unique individual and a timeline cannot be placed on grief and emotional acceptance.
Grief often is severe, and with support and time, it will not last forever. This is the time to come together and share in the love and memories that will ease this stage not just for yourself but for your surviving parent. Although you cannot make your parent talk if they don’t want to, often in a caring and loving environment they will, and this is part of the healing process.
Studies indicate that men grieve and suffer more than women after the loss of a spouse and living assistance services experts notes that many more men tend to suffer from depression. Men are sometimes not as willing to talk through their feelings as women and this may extend their grieving process longer and draw them into depression. It is recommended to be supportive and reach out for assistance when needed.
Stayed focused on the positive and know that living assistance services providers will be an excellent source for you and your parent in your time of need.
