Question : I lost a few of my family members due to severe floods. I am feeling low and don’t know how to deal with this loss.
Dear Teentalker,
Thanks for reaching out to us for support.
We are very sorry for your loss. Losing a dear one is a difficult phase and we completely understand that losing a few family members together must be difficult for you.
Natural disasters like floods can cause great mental and emotional strain and everyone has different feelings and responses. Some of the feelings that we experience are anger, disbelief, panic, sleeplessness etc. It is natural for people experiencing and going through one or many symptoms. Just like our 5 fingers are different from each other similarly coping strategies and time taken for healing is different for every person.
Ways to Cope with Loss of a Family Member:
1. Acknowledge and accept: The very first and important step to coping is accepting the situation.
2. Talk to family and friends: Our family and friends are great support system that we are blessed with.Talking about the situation and and sharing similar experiences will help lower the anxiety and stress you are feeling.
3. Get back to routine and join a hobby classes: Spending too much time thinking about the loss of family members will increase feelings of loneliness. So try to get back to routine and join a hobby so you meet different people. Pursuing a hobby gives a feeling of joy and being surrounded with people will help you deal better.
4. Join a Support group: By joining the support group be it online or offline, helps you meet people going through similar experiences. You all can share your thoughts and feelings with each other and discuss coping strategies.
5. Seek professional help: To better cope with your anger, panic, fear it is advisable to seek help from a qualified therapist who will design strategies to help you cope with your emotional distress. Alternatively you can call the disaster management helpline and talk to the trained crisis counselor.
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