When you have a grieving friend, you may want to help them – but you may not know how. Here’s how not to feel helpless when someone you love is mourning.
Coping with grief is an individual process, but there are stages of grief that most people go through. Part of helping a grieving friend is understanding that the stages of grief are a natural part of the mourning process.
The stages of grief are disbelief, yearning, anger, depression and acceptance. These stages apply to a wide variety of losses, from a pet's death to divorce. Research shows that the stages of grief last approximately six months. The grieving process usually lightens after that amount of time.
When you’re thinking about grief support, remember that your role is to be a friend (not a grief counselor or grief expert). You can’t solve every problem or make everything alright again. These ways to help a grieving friend will help you know what to do.
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