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options Viewing Using the Web to Find Support after Losing a Loved One

 

 Using the Web to Find Support after Losing a Loved One  
When you lose a loved one, the best thing you can do is to seek out others who can empathize with your grief. Why is it that we don't always move easily through the healing of grief? Many experts call this 'complicated grief'; we just can't move on.

By Linda Torrey

When you lose a loved one, the best thing you can do is to seek out others who can empathize with your grief. Why is it that we don't always move easily through the healing of grief? Many experts call this 'complicated grief' or feeling; we just can't move on.

The symptoms and consequences of complicated grief can be distant and at times destructive. It's important to look at our grief and examine whether or not there might be some issues in need of attention and help. Typically, people discuss their grief reaction with someone they know or do not discuss it at all.

Current technology now enables people to cope with grief through participation in online support groups from the comfort and privacy of their homes. We are most disillusioned from loss when we have not yet learned how to help ourselves; we mourn what it is we received from someone who is now gone.

Online support groups for loss assist members in facing the void left by the loss of a loved one, and help to reduce members' feelings of isolation. People in an early phase of grief can share their reactions with others in the group, while others in a later phase can offer support and problem solving.

Facing holidays and special occasions is considered difficult for most members. Likewise, those who are terminally ill and/or their loved ones face similar anxieties, if they anticipate that approaching holidays and special occasions may be the last ones they celebrate together. The true beauty of the Web is its vast resources, and it could be the perfect place to get the comfort you need right away. It can help you make it through these troubled times.

You can maintain and share through a memorial website, which will be the focal point of a community that keeps your loved one's memory alive. It lets you cherish your loved one and share the memories forever. They offer varied features, which enable you to create a memorial that reflects your loved one's life, and is tailored to the needs of family and friends.

• Tell your loved one's life story, express your thoughts on their passing away, and describe the place of a memorial service or event.

• Describe your loved one's legacy. Share poems, stories, or articles they wrote.

• Create a time line highlighting important events in the departed's life - such as graduation, marriage, and achievements etc.

• Light a candle on the anniversary of your loved one's passing, or on their birthday.

• Allow visitors to express their feelings, pay tribute to the departed, and offer condolences to the family.

• Publish audio and video clips featuring your loved one.

• Have a mailing list of friends and family who would like to be notified.

Online support groups reduce one's sense of isolation and loneliness, a predominant reaction for most people in the midst of the grief process or for those who do not seek a face-to-face support group or support person. Specialized online support groups can be formed more successfully than traditional support groups that are limited by geographic boundaries.

Universality unites people as they share similar thoughts, feelings, fears, or reactions with their cyber community. They realize that grief is natural; they feel bonded, and heal as they complete the grief process.


About the Author:

Linda Torrey runs a non-profit grief and bereavement website - Linda Angel Bereavement and Grief Support Center. This website's sole aim is to provide free information to those in need. The site provides articles, resources, advice, forums, and a free book. Download a free copy of the book, Linda Angel - A story of grief recovery and spiritual healing. Article Source: 1st Rate Articles - http://1stRateArticles.com



  Article added 06/19/07, last revised 11/07/07.

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