It is natural for people who are facing death, as well as those they leave behind, to move through many stages of grief. For survivors, the grieving process can last for several months or for 2 to 3 years or more.
Grief is overwhelming and one of the most painful emotions any human will ever encounter. While the pain of grief is the same whether the death is sudden or anticipated, a sudden loss is shocking and disorienting, reducing our ability to cope with and understand what has happened.
Talk to professionals, family and friends to help gain perspective about the death and decrease feelings of guilt. Become educated about the cause of death. Accept rather than deny your feelings, even unpleasant ones such as anger. Be active in making choices about engaging in activities and rituals.
The most common reaction on hearing of the death of someone close to you is shock. Shock can affect you for a few days or a number of weeks.
A tragic death magnifies those feelings. In fact, a 2014 study¹ by Keyes, et al, noted that, “unexpected death was associated consistently with elevated odds of new onsets of PTSD, panic disorder, and depressive episodes at all stages of the life course.”
Many conclude that unexpected death is easier on the person who dies, but harder on the survivors. Expected death gives time to prepare and say goodbyes, is predictable, makes sense, offers chance to wrap up unfinished businesses, provides an opportunity to honor wishes, stretches out grief, etc.
Most people experience feelings of numbness, shock and disbelief in the hours and first few days following a sudden death. "It can't be true." "I can't believe this is happening." It is common for people to feel confused, dazed, bewildered and unable to comprehend what has happened.
An unexpected death must be reported to police and is dealt with by the coroner. A doctor must sign the death certificate before funeral arrangements can be made. The funeral director may register the death with Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Sudden, unexpected death is just that: death came without warning. It may happen in a few seconds or minutes, such as in an accident or from a heart attack, or a random, seemingly senseless act of violence. Sudden unexpected deaths also happen when the person is not expected to die in a certain way or place.
People might feel or act differently to usual when they are grieving. They might have difficulty concentrating, withdraw and not enjoy their usual activities. They may drink, smoke or use drugs. They may also have thoughts of hurting themselves or that they can't go on.
Anticipatory grief is the normal mourning process that occurs when your loved one is still living and you are expecting his or her death. This type of grief reaction commonly occurs when someone has been diagnosed with a terminal illness or has been dealing with a chronic illness for a long period of time.
Sudden death may be violent, accidental, self inflicted, due to natural causes or unexpected. The suddenness with which death occurs may vary. The death may be unexpected by the victim's friends but anticipated by the person, family or physician.
The reasons why death is scary are often related to the fears of the unknown, of non-existence, of eternal punishment, of the loss of control, and fear of what will happen to the people we love.
They Know They're Dying
Dying is a natural process that the body has to work at. Just as a woman in labor knows a baby is coming, a dying person may instinctively know death is near. Even if your loved one doesn't discuss their death, they most likely know it is coming.
Most people who are dying feel tired. They may want to sleep more often, or for longer periods. They may want to talk less, although some may want to talk more. They may want to eat less or eat different foods since their stomach and digestive system are slowing down.
On this page you'll find 6 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to sudden death, such as: deathblow, early death, premature death, stroke of death, tiebreaker, and untimely end.
There is no timeline for how long grief lasts, or how you should feel after a particular time. After 12 months it may still feel as if everything happened yesterday, or it may feel like it all happened a lifetime ago. These are some of the feelings you might have when you are coping with grief longer-term.
Is cardiac arrest painful? Some people have chest pain before they become unconscious from cardiac arrest. However, you won't feel pain once you lose consciousness.
Sudden cardiac death is often caused by faulty electrical signaling in the heart. A very fast heartbeat causes the lower heart chambers (ventricles) to quiver uselessly instead of pumping blood. This irregular heart rhythm is called ventricular fibrillation.
What is the hardest stage of grief? Depression is usually the longest and most difficult stage of grief. Depression can be a long and difficult stage in the grieving process, but it's also when people feel their deepest sadness.
According to Kisa Gotami, the greatest grief of life is the death of loved ones and one's inability to stop them from dying. So, instead of lamenting on it, the wise shouldn't grieve. Grief will only increase the pain and disturb the peace of mind of a person.
Different kinds of bereavement
Important and among them is the relationship to the bereaved person and specific circumstances of the death. Several studies suggest that grief is most intense and difficult for people bereaved of a child or a life partner, and these are the people most likely to experience CG.