My Friend Died and I Didn't Even Get a Chance To Say Goodbye

Madge Alberts

Copyright ©  2005  Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.

There are very few things in life that are harder to face than the sudden death of someone you care about. Whether it's a friend, a sibling, or even someone you just sort of know, the loss of their life can make you feel like you have an enormous hole inside yourself.

It's especially difficult for young people to experience the tragic and unexpected loss of a friend, because it happens at a time when you are feeling like you're getting your life under control, and none of this "bad stuff" could happen to you. The shock of seeing that it actually can happen to someone close to you can make you feel pretty vulnerable yourself.

It also happens at a time in your life where you're usually putting some distance between yourself and your parents, who have been your main source of support. You may feel you need them more than ever, but your quest for independence also makes you not want to depend on them too much. This can result in great feelings of confusion.

So there's a lot that goes on in your mind, body and heart when someone close to you dies.

Grief is a weird thing - it affects every person differently. Like adults, teenagers grieve in their own time and in their own way. It may not even seem real to you at first. You may just feel numb and not really be able to react at all. For most people, this numbness will eventually go away and your body will feel the pain.

You may feel like you're crying all the time, and at the same time, another friend may not cry at all. You might feel angry with them because it doesn't seem to you like they're grieving enough, or taking the death of your friend seriously enough.

Some people grieve by wanting to take care of everybody else and make everybody else feel better. Some people just act completely crazy. Some people get caught up in thinking, "Why didn't it happen to me?" Odd as it may seem, some people laugh a lot when they are grieving.

It's important for the surviving friends to be gentle to each other, and accepting of each other, because everyone grieves differently.

There are all kinds of physical and emotional symptoms you may experience as a part of grieving. Almost all of them are normal, especially at first. Some of them are listed below, but there may be many, many others.

If you find yourself wanting to act on your negative feelings, try to find ways that won't hurt other people. If you're tempted to yell, try yelling at people who are trained to listen, or at things that won't be hurt emotionally - like walls, trees, the sky, whatever. If you're tempted to hit, try punching pillows, punching bags, or other soft things that won't hurt you. Use of alcohol or other drugs may dull your pain for a while, but not forever - and they will create another problem you will need to deal with later.

• Be there for each other - just being together is a big help.
• Listen to one another's feelings.
• Don't feel guilty about what you're feeling.
• Talk about the person who died, and share your memories.
• Allow yourselves to cry. Crying is a wonderful way for your body to release it's emotions. No one should try and stop themselves from crying when they're grieving.
• Exercise alone or with others - it helps your body heal.
• Write in a journal; keep a written record of what you're feeling, and memories of your friend.
• Be gentle with each other, and respect each other's need to grieve differently.
• Even if it's hard, start getting back to your normal daily activities as soon as possible.

There are some things you could be feeling that might indicate you need some professional help in working through your grief. If you experience any of the following things, or if you see a friend experiencing these things, talk about it immediately to an adult that you trust. This could be a parent, a friend of a parent, a minister or priest, the leader of a youth group, a teacher, a school counselor or other counselors, a coach, or a doctor:

• Inability to sleep for more than a few days
• Inability to eat for more than a few days
• Losing complete interest in your daily activities
• Feelings of wanting to be with the dead person
• Feelings of wanting to kill yourself, or hurt yourself in some other way
• Not wanting to go to school (especially if that's different from your usual behavior)
• A big drop in your grades
• Use of alcohol, drugs or sex to take away your pain
• Completely isolating yourself from your friends or family

You will never forget what happened. If you are afraid to heal because you think you might forget your friend, stop worrying about that. You will never forget. You will always have their memory. You'll always be sorry that you were unable to share life with your friend for many more years. However, in time, you will remember the happy memories more often than the painful ones which fill your mind now.

REFERENCES

• Grollman, E.A. (1995). (Ed.). Bereaved children and teens: A support guide for parents and professionals. Beacon Press.
• Bozarth, A.R. (1986). Life is goodbye, life is hello: Grieving well through all kinds of loss. Hazeldon.
• Jewett, C.L. (1982). Helping children cope with separation and loss. Harvard Common Press.
• Aldrich, L.M. (June 1997). Helping kids hold up ... when their worlds come crashing down. Learning Magazine.
• SIDS Network. (ND). Some normal grief reactions for children and adolescents.

Madge Alberts, C.F.L.E., is Program Coordinator, University of Minnesota Children, Youth and Family Consortium

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