If a family member has died, it is important to be honest about your feelings. Don’t deny your pain, or your feelings of anger and guilt. Only by examining and coming to terms with your feelings can you begin to work through them.
Depression is a natural consequence of grief, but can leave you powerless to cope with your feelings. Extreme depression robs you of motivation and energy, causing you to dwell upon your sorrow.
Guilt may occur if you feel responsible for your pet’s death. It is pointless and often incorrect to burden yourself with guilt for why your pet died, and makes it more difficult to resolve your grief.
For some, grief is cyclical, coming in waves, or a series of highs and lows. The lows are likely to be deeper and longer at the beginning and then gradually become shorter and less intense as time goes by.
Some people find grief comes in stages, where they experience different feelings such as denial, anger, guilt, depression, and eventually acceptance and resolution.
Some people may not understand the depth of feeling you had for your pet, and you should never feel guilty or ashamed about grieving for an animal friend.
Given the intense bond many of us share with our animals, it’s natural to feel devastated by feelings of grief and sadness when a pet dies.
Be yourself – whoever you are, however you feel, whatever life has thrown at you. If things are tough, talk about it. Samaritans can be reached on 08457 90 90 90 or jo@samaritans.org .
Bereavement affects us all. Winston’s Wish is a non-profit organisation set up to help bereaved children make sense of death and rebuild their lives.
Finding it hard to talk about how you are really feeling? Samaritans is a safe place to turn; it’s anonymous and confidential: 08457 90 90 90 or jo@samaritans.org .