Dealing With Mass Grief

The current situation in the world has many people feeling lost and alone. It can be difficult to feel positive during all of this. Many people are feeling the hardships that come with such a strange and difficult situation. It is important to understand how mass grief can affect you.

Mass Grief and Isolation

Mass grief is often made easier by being surrounded by those closest to us. But during times of social distancing, that can be a challenge. It is hard, hearing of losses in your community when you’re stuck at home. Grief affected us all differently. But it can be a long fight without having someone to turn to. Even if you are stuck in a house with friends or family, It can be hard to feel close when you are trying to keep from getting sick, yourself.

The Stages of Grief

There are 5 stages of grief; Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Despair, and Acceptance. Many people feel like you have to pass from one to the next, however, grief is not a line; but more like a sliding scale. It is possible to feel them at different points, or to go back a stage. Grief is something that we all process uniquely. In uncertain times such as these, it is important to recognize feelings of grief and to find ways to make yourself feel better.

Being There for Others, While Socially Distancing

Despite all the hardships that thousands of people are facing daily, human compassion is still a shining light through it all. There are many ways that people in our community are reaching out to help their fellow man through this crisis. If you or your family are healthy, you may want to help out those who are stuck in quarantine. Dropping off food, or other supplies, at their doorstep is a great way to help out friends or family. Online video calls can help stay connected.

The author of this post is not a professional therapist or counselor. For assistance in finding a grief counselor that is right for you, there are a number of resources out there. For our Grief Resource Center, written by Dr. Bill Webster, click here.  

For almost 50 years, Matthew Funeral Home has been serving the Staten Island community. We can help with almost every aspect of your loved one’s memorial service. Our family is here to serve yours, every step of the way.