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In the midst of life, we are in death...

Living and dying are part of our life cycle and we can't have one without the other. But the thought of dying or losing a loved one is always terrifying. When someone we love actually dies, it can be devastating...

What is grief?

Grief is the word for the emotions you have when someone you care about dies. It's different for everyone but common feelings are:

  • Numbness - especially if the person's death came as a shock. It can be hard to believe they're gone. We may act like they're still alive at first.
  • Guilt - sometimes people regret the way they acted around the person who's died or even start to blame themselves for their death.
  • Frustration - someone you care about is gone and nothing you can do will bring them back, this can make you angry and confused. Sometimes we even get angry with the person who died, for leaving us.
  • Depressed - it's normal to feel very sad when someone dies.
  • Tiredness - problems sleeping or loss of appetite.

All of these are normal feelings. Most of them are unavoidable. Go easy on yourself.

How long does grief last?

You'll never forget the person who's died. You might always feel sad when you think of them. But as time goes on you may have memories that make you happy. Things will definitely get easier.

The first year is the hardest for most of us. But there's no right or wrong length of time to grieve. Just because you feel better quickly, doesn't mean you loved them any less.

How do you cope when someone you love dies?

Getting over grief might seem impossible at first, but it just takes time. It's not easy, but people do cope with grief and become happy again once they've worked through it.

If you feel you're stuck grieving longer than you'd like to be - or that it's taking over your life - then get some support.

Talking about your feelings and the person you've lost is usually a big help. Many people find counselling helps too.

Further help and advice

Child Bereavement
Cruse Bereavement Care
Winston's Wish
Need2Know: Coping with death
You can also call Childline on 0800 1111 (free) or The Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 (cost of a local call), 24/7, to talk about your feelings.


Written by Dr Melissa Sayer

Last updated March 2009



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YOUR EXPERIENCE

Leanne, 19
My boyfriend of 5 years just passed away We were so happy together we have a 2 year old daughter named lexii and she misses him so much, and im also 6 months pregnant and am expecting a little boy and am definately naming him after my love and their dad callum.Knowing i havent seen him in 2 months i feel like going up to heaven to be with him but now i have to be strong for my children, they only have me but will remeber their daddy everyday.

Nerina, 13
My gramp died may 3rd 2008 and im just starting to come to terms that hes gone but hes still here in spirit

Katherine, 12
I lost my grandad to cancer, 1st December 2008, the next day at school they talked about grandparents day in home class.

Cece, 25
My fiance has recently just died from a car accident. we were getting married on the 21st of february 09. now he is gone. i have no words to describe the pain. why does our Lord take away our loved ones? i am trully am just tired.

April, 16
i have jus found out last month that my dad has cancer of the lung and brain n thats its spreadin quite quikly. i think im still in shock about it realy it just doesnt seem real. Although he is gettin worse he is very confused n forgets things, it is reali hard to deal with i hav had to stop workin and stay in and care 4 him evrydaii while my mum goes to work. im dreadin the daii he goes but at least he wont b suffering nemor,, gona miss him loads x x x x x

Steve, 13
I lost my Mom in July 2008She had lung cancer and fought it off. Then the cancer came back as 4 brain tumors. The doctors made a mistake and 4 weeks later we found she had lung cancer too. For the last month of her life she was scared of me and didn't remember me. I cry always and miss her.

Christina, 13
My grandad died when I was 12. He died on 24th November 2008. I know what it feels like! XX

rachael, 17
A year ago today i lost my cousin to suicide, its still hurts more than ever.Its the hardest thing i,ve ever had to deal with. We did everything together, the day she died a part of me went with her.i would love to see her one more time and tell her how much i love her and how very proud ii am of her and i really miss her. i know that in time the pain will heal. just want to say love you loads and i,ll never 4 get u. XxXxX

Shannon , 16
My Granda dies and i found it very hard to get over but when i fell sad or depressed i just think that he wouldnt want me feeling like this and he would want me to enjoy my life. RIP Granda .. Love you xxx

Lily, 21
I lost some of my family and my friends over the last few months. It has been incredibly hard. Somedays you just want to cry, some you want to fight against the emotions. Some days you just don't have a clue what to do. But just remember, things get eaisier. Just remember, you are stronger than all those things eating you inside. You will get through this. Make sure you talk to your family and friends about how you are feeling. Don't let those feelings become repressed. And as some people have said, time is a great healer.

hana, 15
no one close to me has died before and my great uncle garry who i love soo much has cancer, know he doesnt have much time left but this site helped, and the comments, hes stillgoing to be an angel

Sabreena, 14
i recently lost my dad at the beginning of 2008.He was the bestest thing that ever happened to me. he got killed in a car crash.

Kristi, 14
I lost my big brother 4 years ago and my grandad 4 weeks ago. I just want to say to everyone on this wall and to everyone grieving, you are not alone. My brother and grandad were everything to me and even typing this makes me cry. You will never be forgotton, love you both loads. xxx

tasha, 16
i lost my boyfriend a year ago and its torn me apart.I think about him every day.

Jonny , 13
i lost my great uncle a couple of mouths ago and i knew him so well, at his funeral i just broke down in tears. even though you feel bad, it will surely get betta. because you mabye crying your self to sleep but if ya think about it its only 1 more angel looking over you.

claire, 15
my uncle just passed away tonight and i was so sad i didnt know what was going to happen i was all over the place i couldnt stop crying he has been the best uncle i have ever had and we will miss him terribly!rip uncle!! xxxxxxxxxxxx

lost soul, 17
i lost my uncle yesterday.. he was the most important thing in my life.. he was like a father to me.. i could tell him everything and now hes gone i feel empty.. i still havent admited to myself he's gone.. i dont want to believe it.. i dont live in england anymore and things wont be the same now hes gone. i have so many happy memorys with him and everytime i think of him i break down.. i dont know y he was taken so early.. its not fair.

Barbara, 17
I lost my fiance to a blood vessel exploding in his brain july,21,2008 and I still feel like I'm not going to get over it and on top of that I found out that my mom was pregnant just 4 weeks ago and found out she had a miscarriage a few days ago.

Sarah, 17
my nain died 2 months ago she died peacefully at her home in her sleep and the ladt time i saw her was in hospital she was in a wheelchair but she looked fine to me and i knew this was coming im over it now and i still think of her now and then i once had a dream that she was alive and well and when she was alive she couldnt walk but in my dream she could and i saw my mum happy

Sarah, 17
Reading everyones comments has made me cry even though i dont know who these people are who died but i lost my nain 2 months ago i wasnt that close to her but she adopted my mum and i felt bad cos now my mum has no parents now and how she's going to feel or cope i cried the first second i saw the hearse with her coffin with nain written in flowers and one side and mam on the other and a bucket with these sticks with butterflies and bee's with tags with her grand and great grandchildrens names on she has 22 grand kids and about 7 great grandkids and she lived a full life cancer took that lif away from her

laura, 14
my mum died a few years ago and my dad commit suicide a few weeks ago. ive never gone through anything worse than whats happening right now. sometimes i hate him for leaving, but i love him so much and he meant everything to me so i feel so guilty. ive started pushing people away because i dont want anyone else close to me to get hurt. it took me years to get over my mum dying and now i have to do it all over again. sometimes i wish i had never been born and sometimes i get very depressed. but reading this has helped me see that there are other people out there like this. good luck to everyone out there, i know how your feeling and its awful. love xxx

CahlieBee, 15
I have depresion, and it is caused by a lot of things but losing my pop was one of them. my pop was like my father, my dad was always at work from the time i was tiny and my pop taught me EVERYTHING and i belive he has helped me to become the person iam today. I lost him 6 years ago! it was a long time and because i was younger i didnt really deal with it. i was numb. but as i got older i coulnt deal. i felt like a wieredo because i was just starting to grive but i learnt it was OK. really talk to someone. it was embarrasing at first but reliving xx

Daisy, 21
I lost my best friend about 2 years ago. She was hit by a speeding car and the damage to her skull was too great and there was nothing anybody to do. Getting over it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, I felt angry all of the time and I still sometimes cry myself to sleep about it. I just wanna say that no matter how much it hurts now, it will get better if you give it time; I certainly thought that I'd feel like crap forever. Ilysm Emma Rest in Peace for me like the "good girl" you are xDD.

me...x, 12...x
iv recently lost a sister by suicide... Its very hard to grief a death like this... You feel unloved and unwanted by the person that left you...u feel as iff u can not carry on and that the whole world is againt you...i go for counsiling and its really helping... its a chance for me to let out my anger and sadness but also give me a chance to remember the happy times we spent together...i cry alot but i know it natural... i loved her ever so much and i know il never forget her... i miss her so much...but when she left she gave everybody in our family a part of her soul and i belive because we were like twins(we looked alike and acted alike)i think that she has given most of her soul to me but i have also past a bit of mine on to her so she wont forget me... love you...miss you...never forget you...promis :'( xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

steph, 11
my nan on my dads side is 84 and shes my only nan left cos my 2 grandads and other nan have already died, and i dont know how im going to cope cos i love her so much and would do antthing for her, and would do anything not to lose her

emily, 15
about 8 months ago i was involved in a car crash. i escaped with minor injuries but my best friend who was in the car with me died instantly. i still think about her all the time and cry every night. her life was taken and im still alive and i feel so guilty for that. my other friends have helped me so much but somehow i still believe that she'll walk into my room every afternoon again like she used to. i know that i will have to come to terms with her not being here sometime but for now im holding onto the last memories we had together and hoping that i'll see her carefree face soon. i love you ashley. rest in peace babes. let the angels take care of you. i will see you soon. i promise x

not telling, 12
last May i lost my great uncle. in the summer holidays not long after i lost my great aunt, my great uncle's sister. i was depressed. now im over it but i still see them from time 2 time.

Anná .J.kavanagh, 15
My big brother died at age 19 2 weeks ago and he died on his Birthday I've never lost someone so inportant in my life. we both loved each other and cared for each other but i wish i could hug him one more time .

Martha, 15
I lost my gran when I was 6. She was my best friend and I could tell her anything. She died after being ill. The doctors didn't know what was wrong with her. I am angry that they didn't cure her but am still greeving after years because she was my gran and my best friend so I still get very upset now. If someone close to you dies then tell someone how you are feeling because it is good to get it out in the open.

Moii, 18
i lost my uncle exactly a year ago today. its so hard as we were so close. he had been ill for sometime and i kept kidding myself he was going to get better. but things got worse and he died. even to this day his 1 year anniversary i still blame myself for his death. i feel as though i wasnt there for him enough and i used to visit him 3 days a week at his home until one day he was in so much pain he started shouting at me so i walked out and didnt go back. we still talked on the phone though i didnt go back. and then 2 weeks later he died. so i blamed myself as i felt i should have went back. then i got angry that he had left. he was always there for me and i felt i wasnt around when he needed me most. his funeral was the worst day of my life 21st july 2007. i still miss him and for some reason i cant remember any memories of how we used to be when he was well. all i can remember is the memories of him ill and in hospital and stuff like that. its really upseting and i wish he could still be with us. i know hes gone but he will never be forgotten! x

Kaz, 15
2 weeks ago i lost my great uncle, i didn't reali know him but it was sad enough to enter that church last friday and sing those hymns that will always have a soft spot in peoples hearts, i just hope Marina is ok but we're giving her all the support we can to help with her loss, i'd never seen my family so upset and it was my first ever funeral. This experience has left me worrying for my nan's life; help.

Tishauna, 15
I just recently lost my big brother. I mean I have so many memories with him its crazy. He was the best big brother in the world. Its kinda hard sometimes. I don't sleep as well as I should and I feel angry all the time. I just want him to come back ya know? But i know things will get better I love you Colton

Emma, 12
in july 2003 i lost my grandad suddenly, and he had been like a dad to me. i still miss him but obviously it has been 5 years so i have gotten more used to it now.but, in 2006, july again, i lost my auntie ten days after my grandads 3rd anniversary. it was a shock, as she was still young, and i had been thinking about my grandad around that time too.it might sound stupid, but now sometimes i get paranoid that next year i will lose someone else in july, ten days after my aunties 3rd anniversary.as a result of this i always get uset around july, just as everyone else around me is getting excited about the summer holidays.

Lisa, 14
LAST YEAR I LOST MY BEST FRIEND IN A CAR ACCIDENT. HE WAS EVERYTHING TO ME AND I STILL CANT GET OVER HES NOT COMING BACK. TIME IS THE BEST CURE. ILY JOE X

kalisa
both my parents died in a freak car crash 1 year, 4 months, and 23 days ago. i still cant let go of them. i loved them both, but sometimes, you have 2 admit that they're dead and there's no turning around what happened. they're dead and their not coming back. i acepted that and got on with my life.

Frankie, 15
I lost my friend to Annorexia, and i think about her every day - I knew her since we were both around 2.. Saying goodbye is the hardest thing you can do - I sometimes thought 'Can I really do this without her?' - And I did think about suicide, it still plays on my mind now - Moving on is hard, if you're going through the same thing and want someone to talk to - It helps, trust me. Talk to someone you trust like a Teacher or friend.. Don't bottle it up - It can lead to things no-one wants to happen

Grace, 17
I just want to post on here to say to everyone that has lost someone really close to them, that they are so brave. It take's some guts to get through it. My dad unexpectedly died 3 months ago, i couldn't help but feel guilty as him and my mum had just seperated so we moved to seperate houses, and my dad got a sickness bug, but couldnt cope on his own as he was diabetic and his body just shut down. It was absolutely devestating, i've never felt the feelings i have felt over the the past months before! With all of my exams, it's been hard to cope. But the best advice i can give is just to get on with things, keep your head busy to keep you from getting down about it. I will always miss my dad, theres not one day he doesn't cross my mind. But things are just starting to get back on track. And with time, things definately do start to get better.

Katie, 16
I lost my sister nearly 4 years ago now! People say life gets easier as time goes pass. But trust me it dont. On a friday night when im out ill always think about her what would she be doing now? i think to myself and when i get older shell always be with me!1 the best thing to do is if someones dies in your family get a stone or a flower off the grave and either carry it in your pocket or in your handbag and you will feel your being looked after by them!I hope i have made you all feel a bit betterGood Luck In the future!!

Gemma i, 16
i lost the love of my life rodney one day he was fine the next i fine out he has a spinal tumour and was to weak to operate on later that day i lost him and i still feel sad and weak to this day i love him with all y heart and know one day ill see him again but ill never stop feeling the wyai do from that sadest day in my life.

Me, 14
I know its sounds stupid but I lost a horse a couple of months ago( in wich i broke my ankle & damaged my hand) but i cry all the time...i dont want to but cant help it :( i know some of you people have lost family members & me saying this sounds stupid....but i loved that horse more than anything in the world...he always came first & i miss him...anyone have any ideas how to get through this? x

Dan, 16
i lost my dad when i was was 3. i still think about him and how my life would have been if he was still alive. because ive lost him im not really confident with anyone apart from my gf shes been there for me all the time. sometimes i think why did it have to be my dad that died and because i was 3 i grew up thinking where is he, why isnt he here :(

eden
my dad died when I was 11. As soon after he died I changed I got pregnant and had a eating disorder and I even neally died but I am trying my hardest to get over it only it isnt as easy as someone says now I have a 3week old daughter called bluebell and she is my life and I am staying strong for her my lives ruined now but you lot can do something with yours please don't get into the mess I'm in x god bless you all x

Julia, 18
I recently lost my Son(Jake) to Meningitis. I was told that it wasn't my fault but I can't help but blame myself... It still aches me to think of what he went through - My Boyfriend is also devistated, but now he's thinking about having another child! I'm not ready to move on. I do feel for anyone who loses someone close as it can take a long time to come to terms with it. Never bottle up your emotions, and try talking to someone like a friend, or teacher. It can help more than you think x

laura, 16
i ave just lost my nanna a cuppul of months ago and this page as made me not gree as much so i wud like to thank this page loads x x x R.I.P NANNA LOVE YA X X X X

Steph, 14
I've just recently lost my dad , it was last month , and I still find it hard to get over , i havnt really got over it yet , but if your in the same situation as me , then things will get easier. try your best to remember the good times with that person , things will eventually get easier it just takes time.

Allie, 16
My mom just died about two months ago. It's definitely the hardest thing that will probably ever happen to me. She was my best friend and i miss her everyday. I think that death affects teenagers in such a different way. We know that people die but when it happens you can't help but think "when are they coming back?". We're growing up and starting our lives. When someone dies that's close to us it alters our whole world. Reading this page didn't help me all to much but i also think that's because it's a little too early for me to be totally moving on, but I do hope that this message will help someone.

lauren , 13
my dad died when i was 3 and i still cry when i think about it i dont have any happy memories which mkes it ten times worse but these past few years i have found great mates and they have supported me. id be lost without them i <3 u guys

ankita, 18
i lost my nephew to cancer in 3 places of his body, 2 and a half weeks ago its still pretty hard to deal with

kirsty, 16
when i was 14 a gd mate of mine and died drowing i miss him very much and at first i compley denied he was died i thought was mistake and ever got wrong but it wasn't i even refused to go to his funeral cause i just couldn't belive he was gone, it finally hit me when i returned to school in the summer and relised he just wasn't coming back its been a hard year trying to come to terms with it but my mates and my boyfriend have been great don't know where i'd be without them

gurll , 16
when i lost my friend i thought that my hole world had crushed me,,, it was so unexpected a car crash :( 3 months later my auntie died and i didnt no what to do with my self. but slowly i thin its tru what they say , time reali is the best healer :( even though i think abwt them both every day, i can sumtms think of the memories without crying, which hopefully is a step to grief! rip both of you x x x

B, 18
My friend died last summer and it was so unexpected I didn't believe it. Even when I went to his funeral I still thought he was going to come out and not actually be dead. But as you no he didn't. I just miss him sooo much that words can't describe it. I just want him to know that I love him and I will never ever forget him.

tyler, 14
i lost a really good freind in january and i was devasted for weeksi thought that everyone in school would forget her so we all made things to remeber here and we all still remember her

hailie, 16
not long ago my nana died i was devisated she was like mum to me and at the time i didn't think i could cope, then my friend died not long after that and then a few month after that another friend of mine died in a car accident i held all my emotions in over these three deaths when i was in front of people but i cried my self to sleep at night. holding your emotions in may seem like a god thing at the time to look strong for your family and friends but holding it in just makes it worse it did for ages and now i wil never believe time is a healer because of that.

Nichola, 16
I have recently lost my grandad who has been like a dad to me, always been there for me, now im searching for answers and someone to blame for his sudden death. i still feel like he is going to come home and i can not get over this feeling. My friends have told me that it takes time for the wounds to heal and that awful pictures that i have of him in my head to fade but i see no way out. Reading through this ppage has helped me, not alot but it has helped me understand what im going through and i hope one day things will get back to normal


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