Losing a child at any age is devastating. Most people recognise and agree with the saying that ‘a parent should never have to bury their child’ and this doesn’t change even when a child has grown up and become an adult. The death of your child once they have grown up can lead to a complex form of grief that can be very difficult for any parent. Here we explain more about complex grief and the ways that you can help yourself and others.
Why the Passing Away of an Adult Child is Complex
For most parents who have raised a child into adulthood, they will have already experienced a form of loss when their child moves out. The relationship between a parent and child changes over time and there may be loss of contact or less contact than previously.
When these relationship changes have occurred and an adult child passes away, many parents experience grief in a different way than when another loved one dies. They will often experience guilt and/or regret at not having more contact, or not being as close to their child as they once were. Parents can also feel survival guilt which comes from the feeling that they should not have outlived their child or that they should have done more for them while they were alive.
Coping with Loss and Grief
The passing away of an adult child can result from a sudden event at any age. This can be incredibly difficult to cope with as an unexpected death will often leave loved ones feeling confused, angry and guilty. However, it is also possible that an adult child passes away from a terminal illness and while this might mean there has been time to come to terms with the inevitable and ensure plans are in place, it doesn’t make it any easier to cope with.
Allowing yourself time to grieve and spending time with others who loved your child can help but it is important to remember that there is no right way to grieve or cope with the loss.
Grieving from a Loss and Planning a Funeral
Whilst it is something most parents will never have imagined they would have to do, planning a funeral for their adult child can help process grief. To find out more about funeral arrangements in Kent, T. Allen Funeral Services are available to answer any queries and provide support.
As a family run business, T. Allen Funeral Services can help you through the details of a funeral service in Kent. This Medway funeral directors has vast experience in supporting people to put their loved ones’ wishes into place while coping with the loss of a child.
If you need a funeral directors in Kent, get in touch with T. Allen Funeral Services today and get the support you need at this difficult time.