Adult Grief After a Traumatic Death

You will probably need to talk about your child over and over again. Therefore, it may be helpful for you to find several good listeners. Surround yourself with other bereaved

Work toward renewal in your life.

parents and consider attending a bereaved parent’s support group. Through listening and sharing in a support group environment, you will witness that survival is possible. You may even develop a close friendship with someone who has experienced a similar loss.

To work toward renewal in your life, you must recognize yourself as someone who is changing, someone who is trying to achieve goals, enjoying opportunities, and living life. You may find that the things you care about today are different from those you previously cared about. This is to be expected. Through healing, you will find some peace to help you rebuild your life. The bond between a parent and child

provides parents with hopes, dreams, identity and a window into the future. When your child was killed, that bond was physically severed. You know your relationship with your child cannot continue as it once did. However, you will never forget your child; you will hold onto your child in your heart and mind.

Your child will always be your child.

Death of a Grandchild

When you became a parent, you sought to protect your child from the pain and grief that life sometimes brings. Mostly, you have been successful; you have had the ability to solve problems and the power to lessen hurts. Suddenly, your adult child is facing a pain far deeper than any other pain in life—the death of a child. The pain encompasses physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of one’s being. It may be deeper than anything you have experienced or ever could imagine. You may feel powerless to help. The relationship between a grandparent and grandchild is very special. If you are a grandparent coping with the death

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