Bereavement and your health

UK Helpline: 0 345 123 23 0 4 | www.tcf.org.uk • Our appetite may disappear, or we may overeat, seeking comfort in food. This can be a problem in terms of weight gain or loss, or we may become nutritionally deficient • Digestive issues are common. This can include upset stomachs, pain, diarrhoea, nausea and sometimes the feeling that a lead weight of pain is sitting in our stomach • In the first few weeks that follow our child’s death, some of us find it hard to catch our breath. Lung infections have been linked to grief. Similarly, many of us experience palpitations at times, chest pain or tightness, and physical heart ache. (‘Broken heart syndrome’, Takotsub cardiomyopathy, is a condition causing symptoms similar to a heart attack) • We may be more vulnerable to infections or viruses, including chronic bouts of colds and flu, and generally feeling run down • Headaches are not unusual, as well as other aches, pains and fatigue • Some of us notice a dry mouth or an increased sensitivity to the temperature • We may tremble and shake. If we have any symptoms that are worrying us, it may be worth speaking to a doctor. The root cause could be the stress of our bereavement. Whatever the reason, if we are not feeling well, we might benefit from medical advice or reassurance that our problems are not serious, if that is the case. The impact on our sleep Many bereaved parents find that their sleep is disrupted. We may be restless, over-thinking at night, tossing and turning. Some of us try to sleep more, blocking out the pain for just a little bit longer. Some of us have disturbing dreams. Dreams can be upsetting even if they are happy dreams about our child being alive. When we wake and rediscover reality, we are devastated.