Common Misconceptions about Grieving and Mourning

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Common Misconceptions about Grieving and Mourning

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Wrongful Death Lawyer. Most of us have experienced losing a loved one and everyone handles it differently. While grieving and mourning take a unique process for each individual, there are a few common misconceptions about the process that everyone should understand.

Everyone can Get Over It

When a loved one passes away, many people are told that this is a natural part of the life and death cycle. A death is normal and people simply need to get over it. This is far from the truth and it is natural to have questions when a loved one passes away, particularly if the death was unexpected or young, such as a college student. Unfortunately, modern culture often views the grieving process like any other disease or illness. People simply should take a day off then return to their daily life. This is insensitive and sometimes, people need more help and should not be afraid to ask for it.

Each Grieving Process is Similar

This is far from the truth. Just as every person is different, every death is different. Every death has different causes and everyone has a different relationship with the person who passes away. Sometimes, the death occurs in a healthcare setting and other times it occurs at home. Some people prefer to grieve alone while others need to be around others. Some people wear their emotions on their sleeve and other people hide them. Most people have a different grieving process for each person who passes away. There is no correct or incorrect way to grieve and nobody should be embarrassed to cry.

The Grieving Process Takes a Set Time

Just as each death is different, the timeline of each grieving process is different as well. Some people pass away after a long battle with a chronic illness. The family may have been grieving this entire time and the death is the last step in this process. Other times, people pass away from a wrongful death or die after suffering traumatic injuries in an auto accident. These unexpected deaths can often take significantly longer. Some people may never finish grieving and this is acceptable as well.

Don’t Think About It

Sometimes, people are told that it is better not to think about the loved one and try to ignore the pain. This is incorrect because bottling up emotions can lead to people developing mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and even physical problems. People who need to grieve should do so because it is important for their emotional, mental, and spiritual health. Furthermore, people who feel they need to seek a mental health professional should do so, particularly if they experienced a wrongful death. This is not a sign of weakness (but of strength) and can lead to major benefits for an individual’s quality of life.

Sacramento Wrongful Death Lawyer

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Wrongful Death Lawyer. If you have lost a loved one due to a wrongful death, please call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly and no-obligation advice.

I am a member of the California Chapter of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. This is a forum for top trial lawyers in the country. Every attorney in our group has either settled cases or won verdicts worth over $1 Million Dollars.

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Image Source: via Wikimedia Commons – By Jiri Hodan

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