Grief

COMMON MYTHS ABOUT GRIEF

All losses are the same.

All bereaved people grieve in the same way.

It takes two weeks to three months to get over your grief.

When grief is resolved, it never comes up again.

It is better to put painful thoughts out of your mind.

Anger should not be a part of your grief.

Children need to be protected from grief and death.

You will have no relationship with your loved one after they pass.

The intensity and length of your grief are a testimony to your love for the deceased.

Only sick people have physical problems in their grief.

Funerals and rituals are unimportant in helping us heal.

It is best to stay 'in control' and keep a 'stiff upper lip.'

It is best to put the memories of your loved one in the past and go on with higher life.

It is best to stay involved and stay busy.

Crying doesn't solve anything.

It is not an easy process to change traditions and long - held beliefs or expectations. However, we can relearn and make changes when we have strong belief that it is in our best interest to do so. Some of the difficulties lie in the fact that we are impacted by the beliefs and feelings of those around us. While we may have a desire to change, others around us may not. It may take preparation and family discussion to do things differently, often with very beneficial results for the whole family.