Hello guys and girls,
I am new to the site. Upon looking for help after losing my Mum I've noticed a lack of support groups for people who are around my age, 25, who have lost a parent to cancer. I know there are people in the same boat as me, so i wanted to reach out and find out if any of you guys had found somewhere to go to. There's my local McMillan support group but it's going to be people in their 40s/50s who have lost someone and they are at an different stage in their lives than I.
Would be great to hear from people.
Thanks,
Ben.
There is literally nothing. It's either under 18 or all adults clumped together support groups, which is weird. There must be people in their early adult years, after 18, who have to deal with the loss of their parent and it's not the same to go down to your local bereavement group and talk with someone in their 30s, 40s, 50s who have lost a parent as they are in a different boat to you.
I am 25. I lost my only parent to lung cancer. I finished university last summer. I have a very weird family that is very broken in their relations with each other that goes back years and has continued into my generation. I haven't got kids. I haven't got a partner. It's completely different when you lose a parent at this age to when you lose one in your 40s 50s, which is a more frequent age when people lose their parents.
I'm looking for those similar to me as we can relate much more..
Hi Alison and Ben,
Sorry to hear of your loss.
I joined a local bereavement social group and was the youngest there by at least 20 + years. At first it felt a bit strange and wondered what could I have in common with these people who were so much older than me and vice versa.
I decided to stay and discovered that they really were a great bunch of people and we had a lot in common despite the age gap.
Grief and loss is the same no matter how old you are.
Wendy
Wendy, I agree that grief and loss is the same whatever age. However, those who are 20 plus older than you will have partners, and children. They will also be at a different stage in their lives where they can deal with things better or in a different way. It's more of a natural age to lose someone and I am sure a 40 year old person can relate with another 40 year old who has lost someone better than a 25 year old with a 40 year old.
Hey Em, I completely agree. My Mum missed my graduation, which was two years ago, and that still deeply upsets me. Like you, my Mum won't be there for all the important events in my life. Where are you from? Sounds like we are both in the same boat.
Also, not to diminish other people's grief, but when I've spoken to someone and they have lost one parent, but still have the other and say we're the same. No, we're not the same as I have 0 parents.
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