How Can Losing a Parent Affect the Child

Sadly, the loss of a close one can change us forever. Most people say that losing a parent feels like losing a part of ourselves. After the loss of a loved one, most people experience different feelings.

The most common ones are shock, denial, numbness, despair, sadness, and anger. And these feelings might stay in different degrees from many months after that.

People experience these emotions in stages which happen in no particular order, however, diminish in intensity after some period. However, regardless of how long it takes, many individuals around us might get impatient for us to feel better.

But, some individuals continue having intense feelings for years after the loss. The truth is that sustained grief might have spiritual, cognitive, cultural and social effects.

The Connection Between Grief, Mental Illness, and Addiction

According to studies losing a parent might cause increased risks for long-term mental and emotional health problems such as substance abuse, depression, and anxiety.

This can occur in case an individual doesn’t get ample support in time of their mourning, and in case, they are young when their loved one dies, consistent and stable surrogate parenting.

It is said that losing a parent while a child can notably elevate the risk of obtaining mental health problems, 1 in 20 kids aged 12 and younger have lost one or maybe both parents.

Moreover, another factor that impacts the development of mental health problems is the perception of the person of their closeness to the deceased. Also, how much the loss actually changes their everyday lives.

But this doesn’t mean that people don’t have feelings of grief in case they lose a parent they didn’t know well, feel close to or get along with. This kind of loss still might be felt deeply.

According to data of one survey about the long-term effects of losing a parent filial bereavement might influence both physical and mental health. Men are more likely to have physical health problems.

Also, the data shows that gender affects the impact of the death of a parent. Men who lose their dad seems to experience this loss more keenly in comparison to the daughters.

While on the other hand, women who lose their mom seem to be more deeply impacted in comparison to their sons.

Help While Recovering from Loss – Grief Interventions

One research about bereavement theory and attachment theory have contributed to the production of grief intervention which helps individuals to heal from some loss.

You should know that these interventions are the most efficient when they focus on the individual’s capacity and personal resources for boosting their own resilience.

Also on palliative care from family members and primary care providers in the following months after the loss.

When an individual experience sustained grief or complicated frit – this grief stays long after the months of the death – extra evaluation for mental health problems and interventions might be warranted.

Due to the fact that every single person processes loss on their own timeline and on their own way, it might be hard to identify when and if those feelings of loss have grown into complicated grief.

You should know that for these things a grief counselor can help you. This person provides support while people discuss their anger, sadness, and frustration. This counselor can help you to deal with your feelings.

If this loss can lead to issues in the family, then you should try family counseling. A family therapist might help you to address new and old issues, and teach the whole family constructive ways to resolve problems and heal relationships.

Also, another crucial factor after the loss of a loved one is self-care. Bear in mind that you will be better able to deal with your grief in case you don’t hide your memories, feelings, and thoughts.

How to take good care of yourself? You need to exercise, eat well, get enough sleep, and get all the time you need to grieve and rest. You need to be patient and kind with yourself and with your other loved ones that also grieve.

So, understand that grieving is a personal process. However, you do not have to through it all by yourself.