The recent disclosures by Prince Harry and Prince William concerning the death of theis mother Princess Diana and how they struggled to cope with that loss have brought bereavement and mental illness back in to the public spotlight in recent weeks.
The NHS says people react in different ways to loss, adding that ‘anxiety and helplessness often come first’.
“Anger is also common, including feeling angry at someone who has died for ‘leaving you behind’. Sadness often comes later. Feelings like these are a natural part of the grieving process. Knowing that they are common may help them seem more normal. It’s also important to know that they will pass,” the NHS states.
But the NHS also advises that seeking help is essential if you feel unable to cope with overwhelming emotions or daily life; the intense emotions are not subsiding; sleeping is a problem and symptoms of depression and anxiety occur.
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 come to terms with the loss 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.”
Clinical 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.
The National Council for Hypnotherapy says that talking to a professional hypnotherapist will help you to do this in your own way – to laugh or cry or shout.
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.
If you are one of those who find 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.
Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, told the BBC that he had to ‘learn to deal with’ the loss of his mother saying that the ‘the shock is the biggest thing which I still feel 20 years later’.
The Duke told the charity Head Together that it is time ‘to feel normal about mental health – it’s the same as physical health’ and that good conversations can ‘really make such a difference’.
Both he and his brother, Prince Harry, said ‘while you never get over it’ talking about it and seeking counselling or therapy can and does help.