HERITAGE
Funeral Home

After Care Services

Grief and Bereavement

A profound sense of loss is felt at the death of a loved one whether that death is sudden or expected. There is no set pattern to grief. Some people grieve for a short time while others may never fully recover from their loss. Some won’t experience their grief until some time later. There is no one right way to grieve. As each of us are individuals so too is our grief.

It is during these times that the support of friends and family is so important. Having a visitation, funeral or memorial service is an important part of the grieving process and brings people together who can give you a support network. If that is not enough, your local community, religious organizations and many healthcare organizations offer grief counseling or grief support groups. Although it may be difficult to reach out to these groups at first, many have found grief support groups to be a place where one can continue to grieve openly with others who share their pain.

Grief Education

The loss of a loved one can take its toll on you both physically and mentally. You may experience a rollercoaster of emotions. One moment may find you incapacitated by grief whereas in the next you may feel almost normal. Anger, fear, guilt, panic are just a few of the emotions you may experience. This is completely normal.

The physical effects of grief can include sleeplessness, excessive fatigue, headaches, general malaise, intestinal upsets and dizziness. During periods of extreme stress such as grief, it is crucial that you try to eat regularly and to rest since stress can suppress your immune system making you more prone to illness.

Your grief reaction and subsequent recovery can depend on the quality of your relationship to the deceased, your capacity to handle stress and the type of support network that you have. If your relationship was strained or you have never experienced the loss of a loved one, your grief may be overwhelming. Do not be afraid to seek the support of friends and family. They will want to help but might not be sure how. All to often, those who are grieving keep their feelings to themselves and feel that others will be able to anticipate their needs. As difficult as it may seem, it may be necessary for you to take the initiative.

Call a Heritage funeral director…We are listeners, advisors and supporters. We assist those who are grieving every day. In addition to our funeral directors, we also have Agnes Powe, CSW as a part of our staff. Agnes is available for consultation and referrals. At Heritage, we hope to be able to provide you with the assistance you need to help you through the initial stages of grief. We are a family oriented funeral home committed to the communities we serve and we willingly help those in need. We can be reached at (845)526-3000 or you can E-mail us.