Dealing with grief:  information for young people

Grief is our natural response to losing someone.

For the first six months, at least, you may feel like it’s an emotional rollercoaster. The first year can bring with it all the missed anniversaries, Christmas, birthdays, all the usual celebrations etc. Even after a period of time, we can go through a short grieving period when we realise a loved one has missed a very special family occasion such as a graduation or a special sports match etc. so don’t be surprised that you find yourself reliving those same stages of grief again in the run-up to or on the day. This is perfectly normal reaction to have.

The most important thing to take from this, it's that everyone grieves differently. But if you understand the process that grief takes, give yourself time to grieve, understand your emotions, start to take care of yourself, and seek support, you can heal and life will get better again.

Remember that “normal grief” can vary greatly between people, and situations. Grief is a natural process, and does not always require treatment. 

Where to access support:

The StandBy program is focused on supporting anyone who has been bereaved or impacted by suicide at any stage in their life.

https://standbysupport.com.au or 1300 727 247 

Dhelkaya Health is our local mental health provider, offering low cost counselling, art therapy and other mental health services. https://dhelkayahealth.org.au/community-health-wellbeing/mental-health-services/

Headspace Bendigo provides a combination of online, phone and in person services. Please call to discuss your needs.

https://headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/bendigo/

National support services: 

Lifeline on 13 11 14 

Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 

QLife on 1800 184 527

13yarn.org.au on 13 92 76

Below are some resources to help you understand more about grief and loss.