National Grief Awareness Week

National Grief Awareness Week is a time to raise awareness of the impact of #Grief and #Bereavement.

The bereaved often have to hide their grief from others. Sometimes it is from their friends and family as they do not want to burden them. Sometimes it is from their colleagues at work. Please look out for them, check they are okay, in the early days and ongoing.  They may look alright, they may be going to work, but deep inside they could be struggling and just need your support and understanding.

We are often afraid to mention the person’s name who has died. We think we will upset our friend or family member, but it is generally the opposite. By saying their name, remembering them and talking about them, you are helping to share your love and affection for that person. This is very important and will help those grieving to know that you will help to keep their memory alive.

There is a myth that you ‘get over’ grief. That you ‘move on’. You don’t. You move forward with your grief, but you may be affected by a bereavement throughout your whole life. Often after the funeral, people leave and things go ‘back to normal’. This is the time when the bereaved most need support, when they feel alone and isolated. We need to understand that there are triggers that may come from nowhere that will affect them in the weeks, months and years after the death.

So lets normalise talking about grief, to ensure grief becomes an easier topic to discuss and lets raise the profiles of #Charities and the breadth of support we have in the UK offering tailored help for any bereavement.

#BetterTogether #NGAW2024

Source: National Grief Awareness Week (thegoodgrieftrust.org)