Connection with others is a fundamental need for humans. Lacking these connections can lead to depression, loneliness and a state of ennui – which is an unfortunately commonality in the world we live in today. Many times, this isolated feeling can come from losing a loved one and not having that support or genuine connection with others while going through the grieving period. Losing someone that we love is incredibly hard, and finding new relationships/friendships can feel hopeless at first, but it’s important to understand that there are ways to connect with others no matter what stage of grief they are going through.
When someone is grieving, the feeling of being alone happens almost instantly. Whether it’s your spouse, friend or close relative, the feeling of missing someone can be an enormous pain. Reaching out to others, such as your friends and family, is one way of trying to work through that pain and start the journey of feeling whole again through connection with others, but of course, there are other places to seek this connection. This doesn’t replace them, but helps you to navigate the grieving period with others’ support versus alone in a state of loneliness and despair.
Friends and family are a great place to start when it comes to finding connection with others during the grieving period. Still, there are other great places that you can consider visiting in the community to help seek support and comfort.
Some of these alternative places to seek connection and support are:
Grief-Specific Community Meet-ups:
These exist to help others deal with the grieving period after losing someone close to them, and they can be found online, or in person. There are many ways to find them, such as searching the internet for groups near you, or by looking up forums that can be joined to discuss your feelings with others. Some examples would be 7Cups, MyGrief, or MyGriefAngels. These are specifically online communities that help connect people worldwide and give support to others while navigating the process of grief after loss.
Group Counseling Sessions:
These can be incredibly therapeutic as there is likely a grief counselor present while people in a similar situation share stories of their loved ones and their feelings in a setting that is non-judgemental and purposeful. There can be stories of how one is feeling currently, how they felt during the loss and sharing memories of their loved one that they cherished. This experience not only facilitates emotional healing but also fosters a sense of community. Local counseling offices can provide information on available community-based workshops or support groups.
Churches/Places of Worship:
No matter what religion or spiritual path someone is on, there are often community-based activities and meetings that one can join in to help with the grieving process. Many churches are incredibly great sources of finding connection with others and help reconnect or maintain faith while going through a period of sadness and despair. Finding these groups is relatively simple as there are dozens of places of worship in almost every city in the world.
Connecting with others in a community, whether it is in person or online, can help build lasting connections with others that can help one go through the process of grief with others by sharing stories, feelings and developing new relationships with people who are going through similar experiences. They are an amazing way to aid oneself through the feelings of sadness and help provide hope and a feeling of community with others which can ultimately reduce the likelihood of isolation and loneliness.
You are not alone, and it’s important to connect with others when that is how you are feeling because there are others out there who share the sentiment and are excellent people to connect with to share support amongst each other.
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