Grief Myths

In case you have not heard it before, everyone grieves in their own way. There is not a template, and there is not a timeline. Below are a list of myths when is comes to grieving.

Woman in window with somber look on faceMyths/Misconceptions about Grieving

  • The pain will go away if you ignore it.
  • It’s important to “stay strong”.
  • When you’re grieving, you can’t laugh or be happy.
  • Grief last a few months to a year.
  • Women grieve more than men.
  • The goal of grief is to “get over” the death.
  • Once you heal from your loss, you will never feel the pain again.
  • Grief and crying are signs of weakness.
  • It’s ok to grieve when you’re alone, but you should hide it when you’re around others.
  • You can’t be angry at the person you lost.
  • You need to keep busy when you’re grieving.
  • You grieve less when the person you lost was elderly and lived a long life.
  • It’s easier to deal with an anticipated death than a sudden, unexpected death.
  • Eventually, you should stop talking about the person you lost. You should get rid of their belongings and take down photos of them that you have displayed because it just makes you sad.
  • If you don’t cry after the death of a loved one, it means you don’t really care.
  • When you are grieving, you want to be left alone. You don’t want your friends or family members to talk about the loss.
  • When you start to move on with your life, it means you’re forgetting about the person you lost.
  • When you grieve, you only grieve for the person you lost.