Bereavement

Bereavement and Grief - Adjusting to loss

Bereavement is the death or loss of someone close to us. Grief is the process of how bereavement and loss affect us. There are many different types of loss: loss of health, of employment, marital breakdown, divorce and death.  How we react to loss will be different for everyone. For most people there is a period of intense, fluctuating reactions that ease over time. Other people can experience intense reactions to their grief that are prolonged.

How grief affects us

Grief and loss impact everyone differently and can affect us in ways that are:

• emotional

• physical 

• social

• cognitive

• financial

• spiritual

Grief often causes disruption and disturbance of everyday life. This site provides information to help you understand more about the grieving process, how to cope, how to help someone who is bereaved. The site also contains information for professionals supporting the bereaved.

More From This Section:

Understanding Bereavement and Grief

"So it's true, when all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love." -- E.A. Bucchianeri Understanding Bereavement and Grief Grief is a natural process of reaction and adjustment to loss and change. When we lose someone or something that is important to us, we grieve. What to expect Grief does not happen […] Read more >

Coping with Loss

Grief is how a bereavement affects us personally. It's what we experience when we lose something or someone important to us. This experience can be particularly hard when someone close to us dies. Coping with loss means making sense of the loss and learning to live without that person. This is the work of grieving.   Good […] Read more >

Helping a Bereaved Person

Grieving is difficult — difficult to go through and difficult to witness. But there are ways to help people coping with loss. What to say to a bereaved person   Here are some more tips for helping a bereaved person: When someone you care about is bereaved Try to attend the removal or funeral if this is […] Read more >

Bereaved Children – Irish Childhood Bereavement Network

Read more >

Working in Bereavement and Loss

A wide range of professionals and volunteers provide support to people who are bereaved. It is important for people working in bereavement and loss to be aware of the limits of their own competence, to avail of appropriate training, and to be aware of national supports. As a rule, the more complex a bereaved person’s needs, […] Read more >

Bereavement Resources

The Irish Hospice Foundation has produced leaflets, videos and audio recordings about bereavement, grief and dealing with loss. These pages also house links to additional bereavement resources and information.   The Bereavement Pin The bereavement pin, designed by Alan Ardiff, symbolises the circle of life and the strengths and resources that we can draw on […] Read more >

Bereavement News and Events

Grief from the Inside Out By Niamh Fitzpatrick   Our annual Living with Loss evening was held on 1st November.  It aims to provide information about grief and the range of supports available to bereaved people.  Our guest speaker on this occasion was psychologist Niamh Fitzpatrick.  She spoke about her own grief journey following the death […] Read more >