Bereavement and your health

UK Helpline: 0 345 123 23 0 4 | www.tcf.org.uk As time passes, the intense, overwhelming grief we felt initially tends to lessen, and we start to take small steps to return to a more normal life. However, for some of us – particularly if our child’s death was violent or sudden – memories of what happened are never far from our thoughts and we are traumatised by flashbacks. This can lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is an anxiety disorder and can result in nightmares, feelings of isolation, irritability and guilt. We may suffer intense grief almost constantly and for a long period. Life may seem meaningless. If we feel we might be suffering from PTSD, it can be helpful to seek professional help via our GP. Helping ourselves It can be a struggle to motivate ourselves, yet if we neglect our basic needs and become unwell, it will be even harder to cope with our grief. Below are some strategies that other bereaved parents have found helpful: Aiming to get a good night’s sleep : “If I just cannot go off to sleep, or I find myself waking up during the night, I do something soothing but distracting, such as reading, listening to music or having a warm drink.” “I try to have a routine and go to bed at roughly the same time each night.” “When I’m really overtired, I take a short afternoon nap.” “My doctor prescribed a short course of sleeping tablets. They helped me re-establish my sleep pattern.” Eating to keep up strength: “I try to eat something small, even if I don’t really feel like it.” “I try to keep a note of anything which seems to help improve my appetite.”