Belvedere Funeral Home

05/30/2026

Celebrate the life of Updated service information Deanna (Gail) Bernard and join others in sharing memories, stories, and condolences.

05/30/2026

Celebrate the life of Florence Yard and join others in sharing memories, stories, and condolences.

05/29/2026

Signs Someone is not Coping Well with Grief

In our North American society, we have pulled us away from grief through medicalizing dying and death. Many of us have become ‘death phobic’ where we prefer not to deal with aspects surrounding death and we ignore our grieving. By tucking away grief with the hope it will disappear, we are presuming that grief will steal the joy that life still has to offer.

Some grievers attempt to overcome grief by jumping over it. They pretend they are ok, when in fact they have simply chosen to suffer alone. Support persons who are close to the griever need to be aware of some of the signs a family member or friend is not coping well. These include:

• A change in personality
• Drastic change in appetite
• Withdrawal from social situations
• Long periods of sleeplessness
• Increase in self-medication (over-the-counter or hard drugs), alcohol, gambling, etc.
• Heightened focus on and exceedingly long hours of work
• Frequent physical complaints
• Inattentiveness leading to accidents or fractures
• Unusual negative expressions or humour

As a family member, friend or caregiver becomes aware of the above difficulties they have several options available to help the griever become attentive of their inability to cope, address their grief and begin the journey to heal. Some ideas to help include:

• Provide a safe and trusting space for the griever
• Wait for the griever to be open to conversation
• Avoid offering unsolicited advice
• Ask questions such as: “What is this journey like for you?” “What are some of the most difficult things you are facing now?” “Can you think of things or persons who have helped you with difficult decisions or feelings in the past?” “What is one thing that I can do for you?”
• LISTEN knowing that the more stories that are shared, the more emotions can be released
• Accept that silence may be the griever’s choice
• Keep showing up

It bears repeating that everyone’s grief journey is unique. What may seem like unacknowledged grief may actually be a normal experience for the griever. It is when several of these changes persist for a long period of time and the help of a family member or friend is not working, there may be cause for concern the griever is not coping well. At this point the need to seek support from a professional grief counsellor may be warranted.

Many grievers try to not be a burden on others. It is up to us to keep an eye on them and to check in with them on a regular basis to make sure they are doing ok. With our help they will be better able to meet the challenges they face.

Bertha Brannen
Grief Recovery Specialist

© Belvedere Funeral Home/CFHC Online

05/29/2026

Celebrate the life of Joanne Coles and join others in sharing memories, stories, and condolences.

05/28/2026

Celebrate the life of Daniel Cox and join others in sharing memories, stories, and condolences.

05/27/2026

Celebrate the life of Isabella Bastardo-Jiménez and join others in sharing memories, stories, and condolences.

05/27/2026

Cemeteries are designated consecrated places in which the dead are deposited. The word comes from the Greek koimeterion or the Latin coemeterium, meaning "to li...

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Celebrate the life of Gerald Hannam and join others in sharing memories, stories, and condolences.

05/26/2026

05/26/2026

Celebrate the life of Marlene McKenna and join others in sharing memories, stories, and condolences.