In order to adapt to something as difficult as death, we need strength both for letting go and for finding new meaning. In this process, we can get support from anything that benefits our wellbeing and brings us closer to the people around us.
Grief is experienced by both the person living with or dying from an incurable illness and their loved ones. At first, the grief of having to say goodbye can feel crushing. Over time, the inevitability of death becomes more and more acceptable, and the meaning of close relationships increases.
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder”. When it’s time to say goodbye, we and our loved ones are left with the knowledge that we will always remember each other, for as long as we live.
It may be difficult to tell depression and grief apart. Grief helps us in the gradual process of letting go and finding a new approach to life. Depression stifles other emotions, making it more difficult to be interested or find enjoyment in things, even ones that used to bring us pleasure and joy.
Loved ones may be supported in their grieving process by memories and shared experiences, with the most recent ones often remaining as the most significant.