Therapy for those still suffering the aftermath of Covid
Bereavement counselling for Covid loss is still in demand today. I’m still talking to many people for whom Covid has brought about life changes that were never expected and who haven’t yet been able to find a way to move on.
This is particularly true for those who lost loved ones during the pandemic, either from existing illnesses, or even due to Covid itself or even now the covid jabs.
Why bereavement counselling for Covid loss is so necessary today:
Grieving has been even more painful and difficult due to the pandemic, due to lockdowns preventing people even being able to go work through the usual natural events at the beginning:
- Relatives and friends were not allowed to visit loved ones in hospital towards the end of their lives or even visit them in their own homes, due to lockdowns.
- Many were not able to attend a funeral, to say goodbye, adding to the pain of losing someone.
- Those early days after a loss were even more lonely that usual as family and friends were not allowed to visit but were limited to communicating by phone or video calls.
- There was a lack of physical emotional support – no-one to put their arms around the bereaved to comfort them, and often no physical support at all.
Help with the grieving process:
Shock and trauma:
You may not have expected the death, it may have been very sudden, and you may not have found it easy to accept due to not being able to present at the time or see the deceased afterwards. It may have been very traumatic being separated from your loved one and not being able to say goodbye.
Anger and guilt:
You may feel that the person was not treated as you would have liked and may have felt that them being separated from you may have made it worse for them too. You may feel angry that you weren’t able to be with them at the end of their life, to hold their hand. You may also feel guilty about the way you reacted at the time, the fact that you couldn’t help them and the thoughts you’ve had since.
How to help yourself now
If you don’t feel you’ve been able to grieve properly and are still struggling to come to terms with the life changes imposed on you, it may help to talk to some – a friend or relative, or if you really need someone outside of your circle of family and friends, a counsellor. You don’t need to struggle on your own.
Taking care of yourself
- Try to eat regularly
- Try to keep active – some form of exercise helps even if just going for a gentle walk
- Ask your family and friends for help – don’t struggle to work through the following months on your own – it can be both emotionally and physically draining.
Ways to find comfort
- Remembering happier times with your loved one can help – making a photo collection, or scrap book.
- If you didn’t get opportunity to say goodbye, you may find it helps to write a letter to do so.
- You may like to put their favourite plant in a special place in the garden