Grief and Loss

Tuscola Behavioral Health Systems

Online Support groups

The 7 Best Online Grief Support Groups of 2021

Best Overall: Grieving.com
Best Live Chat: Grief in Common
Best for Young People: Hope Again
Best Social Media Group: Grief Anonymous
Best for Specific Grief: Online Grief Support
Best for Email Support: GriefNet
Best Monitored Discussion Group: Grief Healing

24 hour support via Facebook

https://www.griefanonymous.com/facebook-groups

How to help someone who is grieving.

It can be so difficult to know what to say or do when someone who has experienced loss. We do our best to offer comfort, but sometimes our best efforts can feel inadequate and unhelpful.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Avoid rescuing or fixing. Remember, the person who is grieving does not need to be fixed. In an attempt to be helpful, we may offer uplifting, hopeful comments, or even humor, to try to ease their pain. Although the intention is good, this approach can leave people feeling as if their pain is not seen, heard, or valid.
Don't force it. We may want so badly to help and for the person to feel better, so we believe that nudging them to talk and process their emotions before they're truly ready will help them faster. This is not necessarily true, and it can actually be an obstacle to their healing.
Make yourself accessible. Offer space for people to grieve. This lets the person know we're available when they're ready. We can invite them to talk with us but remember to provide understanding and validation if they are not ready just yet. Remind them that you're there and not to hesitate to come to you.

Grief in Children

Children who are having serious problems with grief and loss may show one or more of these signs:

an extended period of depression in which the child loses interest in daily activities and events
inability to sleep, loss of appetite, prolonged fear of being alone
acting much younger for an extended period
excessively imitating the dead person
believing they are talking to or seeing the deceased family member for an extended period of time
repeated statements of wanting to join the dead person
withdrawal from friends
sharp drop in school performance or refusal to attend school

If these signs persist, professional help may be needed. A child and adolescent psychiatrist or other qualified mental health professional can help the child accept the death and assist the others in helping the child through the mourning process.

https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-And-Grief-008.aspx

Grief can affect children:

Cognitively

They might have trouble concentrating, making decisions or get easily confused. You might see nightmares, lack of motivation, or a decline in school performance and self-esteem.

Emotionally

Children tend to go in and out of the grief process - crying one minute, then playing the next. They may also be unsettled, express anxiety about the safety of others or feel responsible for their parents.

Physically

Children may feel sick more often, experience headaches, stomach aches, tiredness, lack of energy or hyperactivity. You may also notice changes in their eating habits and sleeping patterns.

Spiritually

Children will be curious about death and dying and may ask a lot of questions. They may start to question why this happened and where the person might be now.

Socially

It’s common for children to either withdraw from family and friends, or become more dependent or clingy. They might also attempt to take on the role of an older sibling or adult who has died.

Behaviorally

They might show more challenging or demanding behavior as they try to get care or reassurance from you. Themes of death may show up in their drawings or play. Behavior may also regress like wetting the bed.

https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/supporting-child-through-grief-and-loss

How can you help a child who is grieving?

Here are some tips to help you support a child who is experiencing grief and loss:

Offer support, reassurance and comfort

Find time to do enjoyable things together

Acknowledge or help them name or identify their feelings

Let them know they are loved and will always be cared for

Assure them that what’s happened is not their fault

Help them create a diary, memory box or special book to remember the person

Maintain normal routines to help them feel secure

Let them know that it’s ok to play, be happy and have fun

Allow them to ask questions and talk about their loss as much as they want to