Bereavement and your health

One of a series of leaflets published by The Compassionate Friends To be bereaved of our child is to live in a world that is forever changed. Amongst so many other changes, we might discover that our own physical and mental health are also affected. If we are struggling to cope with the devastation and heartbreak following the death of our child, we might not be thinking much about our own needs. However, if we neglect ourselves, it may be even tougher to manage our grief and carry on with our daily lives. How we might be feeling Grief for our child affects every aspect of our lives, often changing how we feel and behave in ways that are physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social. How we experience our grief will be unique to us. Other people may have similar emotions, physical symptoms, cares and concerns but how we feel and express our grief will be very individual. The state of our physical and mental health before our child died can also make a difference in how we feel now. If we were already struggling with health problems, these might be made worse. We may suffer from a reoccurrence of problems that were previously resolved. Alternatively, we might find ourselves facing entirely new health issues. How grief can affect us physically The possible wide-ranging physical impacts of grief might come as a surprise. Grief causes stress. This affects our immune system and can increase inflammation. Health issues that some of us have experienced include the following: Bereavement and your health