Adjustment and emotions

Grief

Psychological care in the event of the death of a close person. Understand loss, its effects on daily life and support needs.

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To live a duel

The passing of someone close to you can change relationships, responsibilities, and the way you imagine the future. Experience depends on the bond with that person, the circumstances of death, and the vital moment of the person who lives it.

There is no sequence of stages that everyone should complete. They can alternate sadness, anger, longing, relief or moments of calmness. Re-feeling pain before a date or a memory does not mean, by itself, having receded.

The support of trusted people and the ability to maintain some routines can be important. Needing company does not necessarily require psychotherapy; it is also possible to ask for guidance when you do not know what kind of help may be helpful.

When it may be useful to consult

Attention should be paid to both suffering and its impact: rest, nourishing, relating, taking care of oneself or caring for responsibilities. Help may be sought even if work is continued or studied.

Isolation, avoidance of loss-related situations, or a difficult to sustain guilt are reasons that can be explored in consultation. It matters to understand what happens and what the person needs, without turning each reaction into a disorder.

Prolonged grief disorder requires a specific clinical assessment. Its duration criteria do not tell you how long you must wait to seek support or when you should stop feeling the loss.

What can work on psychological support?

The assessment can explore the link with the deceased, how the loss occurred, the available supports and the current difficulties. It also allows to differentiate needs related to grief from other emotional difficulties that may coexist.

Depending on the situation, the objectives can focus on expressing the experiences, reviewing feelings of guilt, dealing with avoided situations or recovering meaningful activities.The purpose is not to forget the deceased person or impose a way of remembering him or her.

In a family, different rhythms and needs may coexist. When a child or adolescent is in need of help, it is important to take into account their age, their understanding of what happened and the support of reference adults.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to wait for more time to pass?

You don’t need to wait a certain number of months to ask for guidance. You can consult when day-to-day suffering or difficulties are difficult to handle.

Is it normal for us in my family to live it differently?

Not all people express pain in the same way. Talking a lot about loss, needing silence, or returning to activity does not allow measuring how much the deceased mattered.

Are pain and depression the same?

They are different experiences, although they can occur together. Assessment looks at the full pattern of symptoms, how they change and how they affect daily life.

What if my loss is a separation?

A break can also generate pain and important changes. It has its own circumstances, such as reorganizing a link with someone who is still alive, and it is addressed on the Separations page.

Psychological care in ADIR

You can consult adult psychology and child and adolescent psychology services. If you don't know which one fits your situation, explain the reason for your consultation to guide you.