Managing Stress and Coping with Loss

Chapter 4: Sec 3

Coping with Loss

Pp. 89-92

Objectives

Describe the effects of loss.

Name the stages of the grieving process.

Describe how funerals, wakes, and memorial services help people cope with the loss of a loved one.

Propose ways a person can cope with the loss of a loved one.

List all things that came to mind as you listened to the song

…

Do NowBell ringer Activity

List as many different types of loss as you can think of:

Give examples of the effects of loss:

Critical Thinking

What is your interpretation of the statement listed below?Healthy children will not fear life, if their parents

have integrity enough not to fear death.

-Erik Erikson

Why are we so afraid of death, and what causes us to die?

Attitudes Toward Death and Dying: Cultural and Age VariationsCultures around the world interpret and respond

to death in widely different ways.

PermanenceOnce a living thing dies, it cannot be brought back to life

Universality All living things eventually die

NonfunctionalityAll living functions, including thought, movement, and

vital signs end at death.

Grief: Lessons in Survival

What do I do now that you’re gone? Well, when there’s nothing else going on, which is quite often, I sit in a corner and I cry until I am too numbed to feel. Paralyzed motionless for awhile, nothing moving inside or out. Then I think how much I miss you. Then I feel fear, pain, loneliness, desolation. Then I cry until I am too numbed to feel. Interesting pastime.-Peter McWilliams, How to Survive the Loss of a Love

The Grieving Process

Grieve is to express sadness of a loss.

The Five Stages of the Grieving Process

Denial: “This can’t be happening to me!”Refuse to believe a loss has occurred

Anger: “Why me? It’s not fair.”Rage or blame self and/or others for the loss

Bargaining: “I ‘d do anything to have him back.”Make promises to change if the person they lost is returned to

them/to avoid what is the truthDepression: “There is no hope. I’m so sad. I just want to

be alone.”Feeling sadness when you experience loss

Acceptance: “It’s going to be OK.”Begin to learn how to live with a loss

Types of Ceremonies

Wake A ceremony to view or watch over the deceased

person before the funeral.

FuneralA ceremony in which a deceased person is buried or

cremated.

Memorial ServiceA ceremony to remember the deceased person.

Help for Dealing with a Loss

Get plenty of rest and relaxation, but try to stick to any routines you kept before the loss.

Share memories and thoughts about the deceased.

Express your feelings by crying or by writing in a journal

If the loss was unintentional, do not blame yourself or others.

Helping Others

Show your support through simple actions, such as offering to run errands or cook a meal.

Let the person know that you are there for him or her, and allow the person to talk about his or her thoughts and feelings.

Tell the person that you have faith that he or she is strong and will learn to live with this loss.

If the person seems depressed, avoids family and friends, or doesn’t seem to be making any progress, tell a trusted adult.

Closure

List the five stages of grieving.

What is the difference between a funeral and a memorial services?

Explain how a wake, funeral, or memorial service can help with the grieving process.