What creative ways do you cope with grief?

This is a devastating and heart-breaking loss. I think the desire to be numb is very understandable, but it doesn't really help the grief, at least in my experience. It might seem impossible to face the grief, but might you try some small things? A grief group can be very supportive--at the least you are with folks who understand. Is there something positive you can do to remember your son--like eat some of his favorite foods, or listen to music he liked?

I lost my mom 5 yrs ago yesterday and it seems like it just happened. I’ve done the same to numb my emotional trauma and I had a heart attack 3 wks ago. I stopped everything I was doing because even though I miss her with every breath I need to be here for my family that is here. I need to remember the good times, the fun we had together, our life together here. What happens if I’m gone and then how would my family feel? I couldn’t put another family member through the mental hell I’ve gone through. After having my heart attack I realized why am I doing this? Would my mother want me to do this or would she want me to live and enjoy all the wonderful memories and pass on her legacy through stories and pictures. Please save yourself, you cannot numb it forever. You have to face it. I’m now getting started with emotional support through grief Counceling and it’s helping. I’ll never forget her, I’ll never fill the void but I can keep her alive in my heart with all the wonderful memories we shared. I will always have to ride the waves of emotion and I’ll still cry now and then but I’m still here to make a difference in the peoples lives who are still here with me. Best of luck and many blessings to you.

When i lost my best friend in Oct i was just devastated...even though we knew it was coming and he did his best to prepare me it still threw me for a loop...(pancreatic cancer).. he wanted me to live...he told me so repeatedly, be kept saying "Look i prayed for this, God answered my prayer, he is taking me instead of you and letting you live, so live"...it took a while i'll be honest (and still have to keep reminding myself sometimes)...i couldn't go to his place without breaking down etc...he was caretaking for our family land (long story) and i couldn't even go to the cabins after we buried his ashes there as he requested...right before Christmas we moved another person in there and i'll be honest, it has helped a lot...i didn't know if it would or not but it did more for me than anything because when i go there i see her finishing his dreams of what the place could be (well when she can lol, she's been snowed under 18" of snow for past 3 weeks) but its good to know that she will get chickens again and will finish projects he started and so forth.. do i still grieve? yep sometimes it hits me like a ton of bricks, especially lately as we've been doing a massive declutter here because of all of his stuff, all my brother's stuff i still have, all my dad's stuff i still have etc...(they passed away in 2019 and 2021) not to mention my own, but my own journey with cancer has shown me i NEED to get rid of it...so i think that is helping me personally...i'm not getting rid of him, i'm doing what he asked in selling his things to use the money to take care of his cats, just like he asked... sometimes i'll listen to his playlist on youtube, or i'll go and rewatch bits and pieces of the memorial service on youtube (user name bhale7904 if anyone is interested in watching it) listening to stories that others told about him and reminding myself of the stories that i was told by others and asked to share...silly? sure sometimes i think so but other times i look at it as it keeps his memory alive for me without keeping me in the past if that makes sense...its kinda the grounding of yes it really happened and i've quit jumping every time i get a message thinking "what's he up to now" .. but i sure miss those morning texts saying "hey sweetie, just checking in on ya"...

Volunteer to help others! It will occupy your mind and you are able to feel good, even if for a short time.

I tend to deal with by self destruction 🙃...I know that's not the way to do...life of an addict...I know what your going to say. Get help...where do I begin. Oh let's start by when I was 9 I was sexually molested...then a life of drugs and sex...finally grew up...hahaha...lost my son last year 1-14-24. You guessed it. Downward spiral again..I'm sure he's proud of me. Looking down. Does it ever end...I do miss and love my son...I think his death triggered something...sorry for the rambling on...do we make it back 💔

I agree--you mom would certainly want you to live and enjoy the memories. Strong thought!

I do agree--get help. What would the first step in that direction look like for you? We can make suggestions, but the action is up to you. What might you do?

It is beautiful to see your friend's vision being worked on by someone else. Stories are very profound--they help us carry the person with us. I'm glad you are discovering ways to be with your grief that feel right.

A friend shared how she came home to find her husband had committed suicide. I saw the pain etched in her face. I knew she was changed forever. In my recent podcast on Journey from Grief to Healing I talk about how grief changes us in an instant. The moment we lose someone we love, we step into a world only those who have grieved before us truly understand. I reflect on the moments I spent by my loved one’s bedside, the overwhelming tide of emotions, and the endless flow of tears that accompanied my journey through loss. I use poetry to explore the depths of sorrow with Federico García Lorca’s "Guitar", a haunting poem on grief, and Czesław Miłosz’s "Hope", a reminder that light persists even in our darkest times. Stay strong. Never quit.

I've began counseling...now a physc it my only option at this point..I have a family...tired of failing 🙃