Grief can be very painful. You may feel a range of emotions such as sadness, shock, anger and distress.
There is no correct way to grieve or time it should take: your grief is unique to you. Ways of grieving may also vary in different cultures and religions. Be kind to yourself. Acknowledge how you are feeling and allow yourself time and rest.
Numbing out from your feelings with alcohol or drugs doesn’t help and may lead to depression. But it can help to take breaks from your grief to stop it becoming overwhelming by doing something distracting, such as catching up with a friend, watching a movie or reading a good book.
It helps to talk:
- to a friend, teacher, family or professional, or express how you are feeling in some other way (we know bottling your emotions up don’t work/help)
- text 1737 for support from a trained counsellor 24/7
- visit or contact your local Deaf Aotearoa office and we can support you to find the support you need.
If over time your feelings of sadness and grief don’t go away or change into feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness and loss of interest in life, talk to your doctor. Your grief may have turned into depression. See your GP to get a referral for further support