Resources | Memorial Services

Symptoms of Bereavement

Most people who suffer a loss experience one or more of the following:

Feel tightness in the throat or heaviness in the chest
Have an empty feeling in their stomach and lose their appetite
Feel guilty at times and anger at others, angry over things that did or did not happen in the relationship
Feel restless and look for activity but have difficulty concentrating
Feel as though the loss is not real and that is didn't actually happen
Sense the loved one's presence and expect the person to walk in the door, hear their voice or see their face
Wander aimlessly and forget things that they have started
Have difficulty sleeping and dream of the person
Experience intense preoccupation with the life of the loved one
Feeling very angry at the person for leaving them
Feel like they need to take care of other people who seem uncomfortable and not talking about the loss
Neet to tell, retell, and remember things our them
Mood changes over the slightest things
Cry at unexpected times

All of these are natural and normal grief responses. It is important to grieve, cry and talk with others. Learning about the process of grief, expressing your feelings, will help you arrive at a healthy readjustment of your life and reinvestment of emotional energy.

Stages of Grief

Shock and denial

This is a state of disbelief and numbed feelings.

Pain and guilt

You may feel that the loss is unbearable and that you’re making other people’s lives harder because of your feelings and needs.

Anger and bargaining

You may lash out, telling God or a higher power that you’ll do anything they ask if they’ll only grant you relief from these feelings or this situation.

Depression

This may be a period of isolation and loneliness during which you process and reflect on the loss.

The upward turn

At this point, the stages of grief like anger and pain have died down, and you’re left in a more calm and relaxed state.

Reconstruction and working through

You can begin to put pieces of your life back together and move forward.

Acceptance and hope

This is a very gradual acceptance of the new way of life and a feeling of possibility for the future.

Guidance and Support

Healing After Loss

Below is a list of organizations that provide a variety of grief and bereavement resources.

AARP Grief and Loss

600 E Court Ave., Suite 100
Des Moines, IA 50309

Phone: 1.866.554.5378

Resources Offered: Widow-to-widow support group

American Childhood Cancer Organization

6868 Distribution Drive
Beltsville, MD 20705

Phone: 855.858.2226 Ext.102

Resources Offered: A national support group for victims of childhood cancer and their families

American SIDS Institute

528 Raven Way
Naples, FL 34110

Phone: 239.431.5425
Fax: 239.431.5536

Resources Offered: Families grieving the death of an infant

Big Brothers / Big Sisters of America

2502 N. Rocky Point Drive, Suite 550
Tampa, FL 33607

Phone: 813.720.8778
Fax: 813.749.9446

Resources Offered: Programs are available to children who have had one or both parents die

Center for Loss in Multiple Births

PO Box 190401
Anchorage, AK 99519

Resources Offered: CLIMB is a national organization that provides resources and referrals for parents who have lost one or more children in multiple births

The Compassionate Friends

1000 Jorie Blvd., Suite 140
Oak Brook, IL 60523

Phone: 877.969.0010

Resources Offered: A national group for parents whose child has died