*It’s important to remember that these steps don’t go strictly in the mentioned direction, especially steps from 3 to 6. It may also happen that you come back to the previous step in your grieving process – be gentle with yourself and have patience. We know it’s not easy, but that’s why we are here – to try to help you make this process as easier as it can be, although we know how hard it is and what a burden it brings.
The first stage for bereaved parents mostly includes shock and disbelief that something such tragically actually happened.
After shock and disbelief, usually comes the denial stage where you feel like the situation that happened isn't real or cannot be real - it's just too much to accept and handle.
As a parent who has lost a child, you now realize how cruel reality was to you and feel a lot of rage and anger - you'll find yourself blaming everyone and everything and trying to find something that was guilty for your tragedy.
You'll start to wish to make things right again. You'll search for various reasons even when there are none. You may start thinking about destiny, or some higher meaning, or even start asking yourself if things could have been different.
This is when the guilt comes in. After you've started asking yourself if the loss could be prevented, you'll feel guilty for the tragedy and start blaming yourself. This is especially true for the mothers of bereaved parents.
When the bundle of all those mixed emotions has ended, that's when the depression part strikes. This is probably the longest part of every grieving process, and for complicated grief, it can even last for years if not decades.
The last step of the grieving process is acceptance and hope, and that is exactly what our mission is now - to bring you here to this last step.
Psychology claims that losing a child is the number 1 stressful event anyone can experience in life. Unfortunately, besides such a huge tragedy, a parent who has lost a child must face all those daily struggles, and only bereaved parents know how many things such a category can include. As a person who has lost a child and gone through the entire grieving process, I would like to help you not to feel lost and alone as I did. This website is created with the purpose of guiding you through the hardest events and darkest moments. You'll learn what the grieving process looks like and know what's happening to you at any moment of your loss journey.
The most intense phase of grief lasts from a few weeks to a few months, and is usually related to the shock and denial.
The adjustment period of the grieving process lasts from 6 months to 1 year. This can vary from person to person.
Long-term adaptation to loss most of the times cover a period of 1–2+ years.
For most people, especially bereaved parents, the entire grieving process lasts approximately 7 years. That’s when acceptance & hope arrive.
My life changed forever in 2017 when I lost my beloved son. As someone with a background in psychology and pedagogy, I found myself closely observing the overwhelming waves of sorrow, the quiet moments of reflection, and the many phases of grief unfolding within me. Over the years, through countless conversations with other bereaved parents, I’ve not only gained deep insight into their pain and resilience but also discovered new layers of my own healing journey.
Yes, those include:
