Maintain regular contact with your physician for a year or two to be sure that you do not have a stress-related physical condition. During this early period of grief, eat well, get plenty of rest, and see your doctor if the problems persist. Substance Use Some people find the pain too difficult and turn to alcohol or drugs to ease the pain. Unfortunately, there is no easy fix to make the loss easier to bear. Alcohol and drugs both are likely to make the situation more difficult to cope with, because both will contribute to irrational thoughts and depressed moods. You may need short-term medication prescribed by your doctor to help you eat or sleep while grieving. If so, do not consider it a weakness. You have suffered severe trauma and deserve professional help to begin feeling better. You will probably need the help of prescribed medication only for a short time. Even if you don’t want to feel better yet, you owe it to yourself and your family to stay in good health. A substance impaired driving crash can cause many physical, psychological and social responses due to grief. Although everyone’s grief response is
different it’s important for you to take note of those grief reactions that are particularly common so that if you experience them, you will know what’s happening to you.
Don’t consider seeking help a weakness.
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