Which of the following reactions have been found to follow after the death of a loved one?

Most people experience grief when they lose something or someone important to them. If these feelings are affecting your life, there are things you can try that may help.

Support is also available if you're finding it hard to cope with stress, anxiety or depression.

Information:

If you're not sure how you feel, try our mood self-assessment.

Symptoms of bereavement, grief and loss

Bereavement, grief and loss can cause many different symptoms and they affect people in different ways. There's no right or wrong way to feel.

As well as bereavement, there are other types of loss such as the end of a relationship or losing a job or home.

Some of the most common symptoms include:

• shock and numbness – this is usually the first reaction to loss, and people often talk about "being in a daze"
• overwhelming sadness, with lots of crying
• tiredness or exhaustion
• anger – towards the person you've lost or the reason for your loss
• guilt – for example, guilt about feeling angry, about something you said or did not say, or not being able to stop your loved one dying

These feelings may not be there all the time and powerful feelings may appear unexpectedly.

It's not always easy to recognise when bereavement, grief or loss are the reason you're acting or feeling differently.

Stages of bereavement or grief

Experts generally accept that we go through 4 stages of bereavement or grief:

1. Accepting that your loss is real
2. Experiencing the pain of grief
3. Adjusting to life without the person or thing you have lost
4. Putting less emotional energy into grieving and putting it into something new

Most people go through all these stages, but you will not necessarily move smoothly from one to the next.

Your grief might feel chaotic and out of control, but these feelings will eventually become less intense over time.

Things you can try to help with bereavement, grief and loss

Do

• try talking about your feelings to a friend, family member, health professional or counsellor – you could also contact a support organisation such as Cruse Bereavement Care or call: 0808 808 1677

• try the 6 ways to feel happier, which are simple lifestyle changes to help you feel more in control and able to cope

• find out about how to get to sleep if you're struggling to sleep

• consider peer support, where people use their experiences to help each other. Find out more about peer support on the Mind website

• listen to free mental wellbeing audio guides

Don’t

• do not try to do everything at once – set small targets that you can easily achieve

• do not focus on the things you cannot change – focus your time and energy into helping yourself feel better

• try not to tell yourself that you're alone – most people feel grief after a loss and support is available

• try not to use alcohol, cigarettes, gambling or drugs to relieve grief – these can all contribute to poor mental health

Information:

Further information and support

You can find further information and support about:

• grief and bereavement on the Cruse Bereavement Care website
• losing your partner or child in pregnancy
• losing someone to suicide on the Mind website

The GOV.UK website also has information about what to do after someone dies, such as registering the death and planning a funeral.

Where to get NHS help for stress, anxiety or depression

Referring yourself for therapy

If you need more support, you can get free psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) on the NHS.

You can refer yourself directly to a psychological therapies service without a referral from a GP.

Find a psychological therapies service in your area