One of the most difficult things to deal with in life is the loss of a loved one, especially when someone else’s negligence has caused it. This aspect is known as wrongful death, where the survivors are left with feelings of anger, stress, and other overwhelming thoughts.
There is definitely no easy route that you can adopt to overcome the loss of a loved one – however – there are a few things you can do that can make the grieving process easier – not only for you but all family members.
Effective Tips That Can Help You Cope with The Loss
A wrongful death can happen suddenly and is usually caused by the negligence of someone else, such as the negligence of a healthcare professional, a drunk driver, a murder, etc.
Now, since a wrongful death involves deviating from the norm or set standards of one’s duty to care, you must get in touch with a wrongful death attorney first, as the professional attorney will analyze the case and ensure that you and other survivors are compensated rightfully for the loss, pain, and suffering.
It is important to mention here that while taking care of the legal aspects of the wrongful death, you might as well have to deal with the emotional and financial aspects of the loss to the point of restructuring all aspects of life while dealing with the uncertainty of the future.
Accept that It Will Take Time
As a survivor of the deceased, you should accept that you will have good days and bad days. In other words, it will take time to heal. Accepting the fact that everything takes time, including healing, will allow you to run the natural course of healing.
Establish a Support System
You can get through the grieving period with more ease if you establish a support system and keep your friends and family who matter to you close during this time. Instead of alienating yourself, you might want to establish stronger connections with people you can trust, as you cannot grieve alone. Allow yourself to accept help.
Establish New Routines
You can establish new routines to help yourself and other family members deal with the loss of a loved one. For instance, if the deceased used to prepare all meals, you might want to accept help from family and friends to fill the gap until you have a new routine.
Allow Closure to Happen
If you are dealing with the wrongful death of a loved one, you might have loads of questions surrounding the circumstances of their death. The best you can do is to work closely with lawyers and other professionals to get closure and answers to your questions.
Things You Can Do to Comfort Someone Experiencing the Loss of A Loved One
Now, if you know someone who is coping with wrongful death and with the loss of their loved one, you should know about how you can comfort them during this period. Sometimes, comforting someone who has lost their loved one can be awkward as you might not know what to do or say. You might as well be afraid of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time as you might now know where the person who is experiencing this loss is in terms of their emotional state.
There are several things that you should and should now do when comforting someone who has experienced a loss.
Don’t Assume They Need Space
Now, if you know someone who is going through the pain of losing their loved one, you shouldn’t automatically assume that they want or need space. On that note, if they are a true and dear friend of yours, not only will they want to hear from you – they need to hear from you. They might not express it – but they expect to hear from you.
So, when you assume they need space and don’t reach out to them – you might actually compound their pain.
Don’t Make It About You
When comforting someone, don’t make things about you but let the other person talk. You should only speak according to the need of the moment. Now, this aspect doesn’t mean that you should not talk at all, but it means that you should make wise use of words.
As a matter of fact, you might not know what to say – but – don’t compensate for that by trying to say too much. There is nothing that you can say at that time that will take away their pain. The reason why you shouldn’t say that they are in a better place – especially – when it has been a wrongful death is because, at that time, things like these will be more painful to hear.
They are dealing with the reality of their loss right now at that moment. So, be mindful of the choice of words.
Send Your Prayers
It doesn’t matter where you are – the first thing that everyone needs when dealing with the loss of their loved ones is prayers. So, if you are comforting someone, make sure that you not only pray for them but also with them.
Why, you might ask? The reason is that there is something encouraging that happens when they hear you praying and crying to God on their behalf.
Be Present
Another thing that your friend or family might need after they lose someone, especially caused by wrongful death, is your presence. Sometimes, our presence in the most difficult season of someone’s life can mean way more than any words that you can use to express your condolences.
So, one of the best things you can do to help ease the pain of those who lost their loved ones s to weep with them, sit with them, and simply be there. You don’t need to say a word. The key here is to do the least amount of talking – but your presence will matter the most to them.
So, you might want to do the following to show you are there:
- Reach out to them periodically.
- Reach out on important days, such as anniversaries and birthdays.
- Reach out on holidays.
All of these are different ways you can ensure your friend or loved one dealing with the loss of their loved one that they are there for you and that they don’t have to walk through this alone.