Mourning the Demise of a Mother: Strategies for Daughters to Cope Effectively
Losing a mother is an emotional and challenging experience. However, there are ways to cope and find comfort during this difficult time.
One way to ease the burden of loss is by keeping up with traditions, such as making favourite recipes or using the same fragrances. Starting your own traditions can also provide comfort and ensure your children will have both yours and your mother's traditions to carry on with them.
Mindfulness can help acknowledge painful memories related to the loss of a mother without dwelling on them. If you are experiencing overwhelming grief and considering self-harm or suicide, it's important to know that help is available right now through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, or Befrienders Worldwide.
The loss of a mother can mean losing an important part of your support system. You may feel regret for lost family traditions and cultural knowledge, and wonder how successfully you're fulfilling your own role as a mother. Relationships within your family may also become strained, with siblings and other parental figures feeling distant or not being emotionally available in a way your mother once was.
It's important to remember that these emotions are normal. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) lists regret, remorse, anxiety, guilt, emptiness, rage, anger, sadness, and numbness as normal emotions in the year following parental loss.
Grief is linked to increased chances of cancer, cardiac issues, immune disorders, and high blood pressure, according to a study. If extreme grief persists for more than a year or interferes with daily tasks, speaking with a mental health professional may be helpful.
Local support groups, online chat forums, and mental health professionals can provide assistance during the grieving process. The American Psychological Association's Psychologist Locator can help find a professional who specializes in grief recovery.
Books such as 'Healing After the Loss of Your Mother', 'Motherless Daughters', and 'How to Survive the Loss of a Parent' may provide helpful guidance during the grieving process. Offering support to others who have experienced parental loss can be an important part of one's own journey with grief.
Honoring a mother's memory can be unique to each individual, such as donating to her favourite charity or setting personal goals. Starting new traditions, focusing on happy reminders such as pictures, books, or keepsakes, and keeping up with old traditions can provide comfort during the grief of losing a mother.
If you are a daughter, it's important to know that the death of a mother can have more negative effects on you than on sons, according to a study. Women who experience the loss of a mother are more likely than men to binge drink, have a greater decline in self-esteem, and have a lower level of personal mastery (personal growth).
Maternal figures outside of blood relatives can provide guidance and understanding after the loss of a mother. Keeping up with traditions and starting new ones can help ensure that your mother's legacy lives on, providing comfort and a sense of connection for you and your family.
Read also:
- Hospital's Enhancement of Outpatient Services Alleviates Emergency Department Strain
- Increased Chikungunya infections in UK travelers prompt mosquito bite caution
- Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister holds discussions on the prevailing circumstances in Almaty
- In the state, Kaiser Permanente boasts the top-ranked health insurance program
