few years, my husband and I befriended a young couple, Kent and Sherlene. We attended the same church and spent time together often. They were a little older than us, but we both had school-age children, and we lived in the same community
Last December, our friends received devastating news. Kent was diagnosed with kidney cancer. With the experience of my father with mesothelioma, I am too familiar with the chaos following a difficult diagnosis. I understand the fear and anxiety in the voice of Sherlene when she told me the news.
prognosis of Kent was dark, and he has not had much time for his affairs in order. The events that unfolded were soon completely chaotic, and dear friends were swept away in a whirlwind of uncertainty.
The doctors said Sherlene should quickly contact hospice so they can start taking care of Kent. Unfortunately, he passed December 19, 2015, nine days after his diagnosis.
After the death of Kent, Sherlene ignored several attempts by the hospice to contact her about grief counseling. Like many people shocked by the sudden death of a loved one to mesothelioma or other cancer she did not know many hospices offer grief counseling for free.
Guidance For Sorrow
Watching my friend experience such a tragedy was heartbreaking. My father has not opted for palliative care after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, but I see now palliative care could have been so beneficial to me and my mother.
To help Sherlene, I sought more information about the hospice and the Board of pain. After doing some research, I found our local hospice is not the only offering advice free of pain. palliative care centers throughout the country provide these services to family members cope with the loss.
In addition to the guidelines, some facilitate support groups for bereaved families. It is often helpful to talk to others who have worn the same charges of loss you might encounter.
I found some great resources on grief Hospice Net, a nonprofit organization based in Nashville that helps patients and families struggling with a fatal disease. It offers many useful and informative tools for mourning family members, including a section answering some frequently asked questions about pain.
Sherlene Takes appeal
It was not easy for Sherlene to pick up the pieces, but it is necessary now that she is a single parent. Immediately after the death of Kent, she struggled with her own health issues and activities of daily living.
First Sherlene ignored several calls from the hospice, but one day she took the phone by accident. They talked with her about advice pain, but she said she did not see the need. She felt as if she was already beginning to heal itself.
reluctantly agreed to try Sherlene council. She figured she did not have anything to lose, after all, it was a free service under the care of her husband.
Do not be afraid to ask for help
Living pain is a normal response to losing someone we love. Go to support groups or counseling sessions does not mean that you are "crazy" or "insane." It is quite reasonable to need a little attention and support after the loss of a loved one.
Although research bereavement counseling, I kept coming in "grief Guide: mourning, grief and mourning" on medical websites and hospice. This guide from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) provides an excellent overview of the pain therapy and various ways people can learn to cope with the loss.
Learn more about grief counseling ideal results helped me to understand why so many people benefit. NCI guide explains some of the key objectives of grief counseling, including :.
- Help the bereaved accept the loss Accepting the loss of a loved one is difficult. Sometimes, speaking of the loss can help you learn to accept it.
- identify and express emotions related. People who have lost a loved one are pushed into the unknown emotions and the experience they have never felt before. Counseling can help you identify these strange emotions and understand why you meet them.
- Learn to make decisions for themselves. It can be difficult to make decisions without the guidance and support of the lost loved one.
- Start new relationships. Living a hard loss can leave people with socialization difficulties. It can be difficult to make new friends and maintain relationships with old friends.
- Gain understanding of pain. It helps to understand the pain and the accompanying emotions are normal reactions to loss. It is also important to understand people develop mechanisms to deal with their emotions face.
- Provide ongoing support. Having a strong support system is crucial for the recovery of the loss of a loved one.
most people with pain just want to get their life. During the mourning counseling, hospice support staff or a licensed counselor can help you set goals for recovery and guide you as you work to achieve them.
A success story
Attending board was the right choice for Sherlene. She is doing well. She was so inspired by his consulting experience in mourning she started her own support group based on faith for local widows.
It is sometimes difficult to remember our strengths when we are in our darkest hour. bereavement counseling may be light at the end of the tunnel for anyone who has suffered a major loss. I would have known the benefits of counseling when mesothelioma as my father.
