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Psychological Effects of Losing a Sibling

A sibling's death affects an entire family unit. Interactions between parents and the remaining children, as well as the children's communication among themselves, suffer without an honest discussion about death. The human mind is greatly affected on a deep psychological level for many years, generating various feelings and reactions.

  1. Confusion over Death

    • Every sibling reacts differently to the idea of death, exhibiting extreme contrasts. Some surviving siblings feel immune to death, convincing themselves that death will never occur to them. Other siblings feel that they are the next to die. The type of disease that afllicted the sibling who died also influences the psychological reactions in the surviving siblings. A slow decline in health typically involves the body's demise into a thin shape. After the death, survivors may fear being thin since they associate a small body with impending death.

    Stress Susceptibility

    • For survivors who lost a sibling in childhood, future life stresses can become overwhelming. Losing a sibling is a traumatic event, especially for a child. During childhood, school pressures may cause the child to act out and misbehave. As an adult, a frightening event on the local news, such as a murder, may bring the fear of death to light, causing overwhelming anxiety.

    Overprotective Reactions

    • Preventing future losses becomes an important goal in the mind of a survivor. Overreactions to situations may occur, such as preventing a family member from driving a car if the lost sibling died in a car accident. The human mind does not want to consider another loss. The survivor's brain reacts by removing the loved one from any potential danger, even if it is an exaggerated situation imagined that the survivor imagines.

    Guilty Feelings

    • Survivors often feel ashamed of their actions before and after a sibling's death. Some survivors regret an argument that happened before the death, blaming themselves for the argument and partly placing the cause of death as their fault. At times, the extreme reaction of taking the lost sibling's place in death occurs, based on guilt surrounding the death.

    Traditions

    • Many families create yearly traditions for recognizing the sibling's death, prompting family unity and communication. Lighting a candle or placing a picture of the deceased sibling on the mantle are effective methods for remembering the past good times with the lost sibling.

    Positive Outlook

    • After grieving for the lost sibling, many survivors feel empowered about their own life. The simple joys of life, like cooking a family meal together, become more important. Such a positive change in outlook may lead to survivors changing their life goals -- perhaps finally deciding to take that leap into a new career they've been passionate about.

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