Roderick C. Lopez | December 14, 2023 | Wrongful Death
Losing loved ones is perhaps one of the most difficult occurrences for humans to process, even more so when that death is unexpected. Although the resulting grief is challenging to work through, victims’ loved ones can potentially find peace by following this step-by-step guide.
Processing Grief After the Unexpected Death of a Loved One
The loved ones of a deceased person must deal with the grief of loss to move on with their lives. Although the pain may never go away for many, processing grief is required in order to continue on in life and find joy once again.
Because individuals and cultures are so remarkably different in many aspects, the way people deal with grief can vary widely from person to person.
That said, every healthy way you can deal with grief involves at least:
- Practicing self-compassion
- Relying on support from others
- Eventually identifying how your healing process will look
Without each of these three elements, the grieving process typically takes longer, is incomplete, and leads to more grief and frustration.
Concrete Steps To Help You Grieve
If a loved one has been taken from you unexpectedly, and you are unsure of how to proceed with your grief, the following concrete steps may be of great help to you.
Seek Support
No matter how strong a person might be emotionally, it is always a good idea for grieving loved ones to seek some sort of support while grieving.
Support can come in many ways, including:
- Emotional support through visits and conversations
- Household support, i.e., meal prep, house cleaning
- Support dealing with official end-of-life affairs of the deceased
When reaching out for support, contact those who you feel have your best interests in mind and have the time to help. Keep in mind that many close people in your life may want to help but might need an invitation from you to help because they may not want to be intrusive or are unsure of how to help you during this time.
Don’t Neglect Your Needs
Grieving is a draining process that can cause just as much, if not more, stress as anything else in your life.
For this reason, you should pay particular attention to your normal personal needs and make sure they are fulfilled, including:
- Meals
- Sleep
- Hygiene
- Home duties, such as house cleaning and laundry
If possible, engage in the pastimes that normally bring you joy, including hobbies, entertainment, and other similar activities.
Allow Yourself To Grieve
It’s easy to bottle up emotions and feelings after an unexpected death. Many feel they need to be strong during times like these and try to avoid the vulnerabilities that arise while grieving. However, by permitting yourself to grieve, you are not being weak but strong because you are facing your emotions and thoughts related to the unexpected death head-on.
In the end, this helps you through the process much faster and won’t lead to the negative consequences of the suppression of emotions.
Remember that allowing yourself to grieve entails providing yourself with ample time and opportunity to do so. Don’t be hard on yourself if the feelings and emotions of loss are with you longer than you’d hoped. Instead, be patient with yourself as you work through this process.
Consider Professional Help
There are many professionals with experience, training, compassion, and resources who have helped countless grieving people and families make it to the other side of the grieving process following an unexpected death.
Although some of these professionals charge more than some can afford, many professionals are within the reach of most grievers, including religious professionals and professionals from non-profit groups and organizations that serve their community at large.
Explore Outlets To Express Your Grief To Find Meaning
Many who help people deal with unexpected death encourage those they help to explore whatever healthy outlet necessary to find meaning in their unexpected loss.
Various outlets that often prove to be helpful for grievers include:
- Journaling or writing in a diary
- Nostalgic or new travel
- Music — either listening or playing
- Engaging in familiar or new art forms
- Volunteering within the community
Without some form of expression, many of the feelings you have concerning the loss of your loved one may ultimately remain bottled up and lead to further problems down the line.
Choose How Your Healing Process Will Look
Choosing how your process will look means understanding what you need from the grieving process, which is often determined by how your loved one passed on. For example, after the death of a loved one due to an unlawful act, the grieving process might include seeking justice for their death.
Unexpected Death Vs. Accidental Death Vs. Wrongful Death
If you have lost someone prematurely, it is important to understand the different terminology that is used to refer to death for a true understanding of the circumstances surrounding your loved one’s passing.
Unintended death, for example, is a death that surprises those who knew or treated the victim. It is a category that may encompass both accidental and wrongful death. However, they are not the same.
Accidental Loss of Loved Ones
Accidental death is a death that occurs due to an error, which typically makes it an unexpected death as well. However, not all unexpected deaths are accidental. Intentionally caused deaths may also be unexpected but are definitely not the same as the accidental loss of loved ones.
Wrongful Death
A wrongful death is a death that results from negligence or otherwise unlawful actions. Although an unexpected death may be wrongful, not all unexpected deaths are wrongful. When they are, the victim’s family may be entitled to damages from a wrongful death lawsuit.
Grief and Justice
Dealing with the loss of a loved one may include seeking justice for the one who has passed and their family. In the realm of personal injury law, where one party harms another through negligence or some other unlawful action, justice is dispensed as compensation.
Contact the Laredo Wrongful Death Lawyers at Roderick C. Lopez Personal Injury Lawyers Today
If you have experienced the loss of a loved one and are in the healing process, speaking with an experienced wrongful death lawyer can be an extremely helpful step in the process of getting the closure you need.
Contact our Laredo Wrongful Death Attorneys at Roderick C. Lopez Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free case review today.
Roderick C. Lopez Personal Injury Lawyers
6557 Metro Court, Suite 1 Laredo, TX 78041
(956) 529-7336
