How do you get over bereavement if you have little or no support

Hi FORSYB,

My name is Matthew, and I work as part of Macmillan’s Online Community Team. I’d like to wish you a very warm welcome to the Online Community, and to say thank you for sharing a little bit about how you are feeling.

I’m not sure if you meant to post your message just on your blog page here, or if you meant to post it over on our public forums too, but I just wanted to say how sorry I was to read about your loss.

Please know that there is no wrong way to react to the loss you have experienced. It’s worth remembering that two weeks is also an incredibly short amount of time to begin understanding something so life changing. I hope you will be kind to yourself and take the time you need to feel however you are feeling, without rushing yourself to feel one way or another.

I also just want you to know that you do not have to go through this alone. There is support that Macmillan can offer you directly, and we can also signpost you to some incredibly helpful grief support services.

Firstly, we have our Macmillan Support Line teams if you ever just need to talk. They’re available 7 days a week, 8am-8pm on freephone 0808 808 00 00, email or live webchat.

Next, we have our dedicated Online Community forums. You might find it particularly helpful to join our Bereaved spouses and partners forum. Sharing your thoughts and feelings with other people who understand can be a powerful source of comfort and support. I hope you will consider sharing your feelings there, where you can get replies from people who understand what you are going though.

Finally, just in case you haven’t come across these already, we also have some articles on getting support with grief, and how best to cope and adapt after experiencing a loss.

In times of great distress, I can honestly recommend reaching out for help from qualified and compassionate professionals. I understand that not all of the options below will be right for you, but I include them just in case one option seems like a better fit for you than the others:

• Talk to Cruse Bereavement on 0808 808 1677, or by email at helpline@cruse.org.uk
• Consider talking to your GP about how you are feeling, and ask them about local groups and support services available
• If you are unable to talk to your GP, you can get in touch with the NHS 111 service and ask them about mental health services near you
• You can always talk to the Samaritans by calling 116 123, or emailing jo@samaritans.org for a reply within 24 hours
• There is also the Shout Crisis Text Line if you’d prefer to use a texting service. Text "SHOUT" to 85258 to get started
• Finally, if you feel you are in immediate danger, you can call 999, or the urgent mental health NHS helpline number on 0800 330 8590

I hope the above all makes sense and is helpful. If you need any tips on using the site, please check out our Help Pages. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us in the Online Community Team. You’re welcome to send us an email at community@macmillan.org.uk, or you can send a private message to the Moderator account.

You’re not alone, FORSYB. Macmillan and the Online Community are here for you, for as long as you need us.

Sincere best wishes,

Matthew
Macmillan Online Community Team