Further information and support

Practical Do’s and Don’ts

Do

• Choose a Funeral Director with whom you feel comfortable • Express your emotions • Talk about what has happened with your family, close friends or a sympathetic group • Eat properly and rest • Guard against accidents in the home • Make sure your home is secure • Consult your doctor if your health is a worry • Contact ‘Cruse’ or another group if you need extra support (contact numbers on pages 16-17 of this booklet)

Don’t

• Hide your feelings • Let family or friends hurry you into making decisions or doing things until you are ready, for example sorting out your loved one’s belongings before you are ready to tackle that task yourself • Enter into any financial arrangement you do not understand • Turn to drugs or alcohol • Allow the funeral to be rushed or be unnecessarily expensive • Move home or make any major life changes whilst you are still grieving • Hurry the healing process. Take it at your own pace

Bereavement is a distressing experience we all encounter during our lives. Yet it is something few of us talk about, resulting in little opportunity to learn about coping with the death of someone close to us. Grieving is a natural process that usually takes place after any death but, most powerfully, after the death of someone we love. For any further information on coping with grief and what support is available to you, please contact the Bereavement & Medical Examiner Office.