The recent air disasters, from the missing Malaysian passenger jet to the Norfolk 
helicopter crash, have again brought to light the massive grief many people suffer with such life-changing trauma as losing loved ones.
The news of recent events can also bring to the surface grief from previous loss of life in the past.
Many people struggle to overcome feelings of loss or bereavement but therapists from the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) can help lessen those feelings, cope with the loss and heal those scars.
Simply ignoring the pain or keeping it buried does not lessen the grief or sense of loss. It takes some time to work through the grieving process, but some people may not deal with their loss which can impair their healing and lead to deep-seated feelings of heartache and depression.
So, if you are finding it difficult to cope with bereavement and loss, then it can be helpful to seek out a therapist from the NCH directory who can help you.
If the bereavement is a family member, then turning to another family member for support could be more of a burden for them than help.
Often, grieving people have a need to tell and retell the story. This is normal and nothing to feel embarrassed about. Therapy for bereavement can help by allowing you time and space to discuss your loss and the feelings you have about it, without worrying about burdening the person you’re talking to, distressing them, or taking up their time.
For some people, time is enough to help them come to terms with their loss. However, this does not always happen. Counselling for grief which leads to depression can help heal the scars that losing someone close to you can cause.
Talking to a professional therapist will help you to do this in your own way – to laugh or cry or shout – without feeling that others may misinterpret or judge. It will help you to find a way to understand your loss, and to deal with those emotions arising out of it.
Many people feel guilt at things they did or did not say or do; feelings of anger and blame are also common, as is increased anxiety and stress. You may, for instance, suffer anxiety about how you will cope without the person you have lost, about your own health, about dying, about financial insecurity, or about the loss of your place in the world.
You may lose confidence and self esteem, or develop a fear of loneliness.
You may also experience physical symptoms of grief – loss of appetite, weight loss or weight gain, sickness, fatigue or sleeplessness.
Hypnotherapy can give you positive suggestions to help cope with anxiety, insomnia, deep sadness and depression, and other symptoms of grieving; it can reduce feelings of guilt and blame, and help you to find ways of coping in the future.