If you have young children or teenagers, there are a variety of books and films out there that can also help them deal with losses. These articles teach you how to talk to children about death and how you can help children with pandemic grief.
Talk to a grief counselor, religious leader, or other professional
Kristin Taylor, 39, of Oak Park, Illinois, who lost her mother to pancreatic cancer in November, tried everything: meditation, talking to friends who had lost their parents, long walks, journaling, and yoga. “Nothing was too much,” she said.
Then she started speaking to a grief counselor once a week.
“I feel like I have a place where not only can I cry and grieve openly without burdening another person, but now someone to help me resolve the trauma I was experiencing when I’ve dealt with an aggressive and reckless cancer that is taking over my mother’s body. ” Mrs. Taylor said.
A November survey of more than 800 US adults who lost someone to Covid-19 found that two-thirds of respondents suffered from debilitating states of grief, a type of grief that affects a person’s ability to lead a normal life. can affect.
If you use drugs or alcohol to deal with it, or if you have problems with function, it’s important to speak to a professional, said Sherman A. Lee, associate professor of psychology at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia , and one of the study’s authors. The website of Dr. Lee, The Pandemic Grief Project, offers a brief test that people can use to assess their plight: a score of seven or higher indicates the need for additional assessment or treatment.
The demands of the pandemic have made it even more difficult for some people to find a mental health provider, especially one who takes out insurance.
Psychology Today maintains a large list of providers that you can filter by location, insurance, specialty, or other criteria. However, if you can’t find a provider who is accepting new patients, ask the provider you contacted or your primary care provider for referrals.
