How to Find a Bereavement Support Group

Coping with the death of a loved one or a long time friend is one of the most difficult journeys we take in life. Understanding why someone we love has died is part of the bereavement process that often leads to isolation. Find someone to share your grief with and who knows how you feel to help you through your pain. Bereavement support groups often provide that venue. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

• 1

  Know that you are not suffering alone. There are people in your community trying to put their lives back together and who simply want someone to listen to them. Get involved with a support group to provide yourself the opportunity to see how others deal with loss. It also helps to normalize some of your own feelings.

• 2

  Find a local mental health association. They provide information about how to participate and fin bereavement support groups.

• 3

  Contact a local hospice or hospital. Speak to the bereavement coordinator. Many facilities offer support groups on site. If not, ask them to refer you to one in your community.

• 4

  Ask if the bereavement support group has a theme. The death of a spouse is different from the death of a child. Both are equally sad, but the grief you feel may be expressed in different ways. Some groups are geared toward a specific type of loss like that of a spouse or child, a stillborn death, ectopic pregnancy or more.