 |
|||
|
|||
 |
|
Behaviour and Feelings Children and young people may respond to loss in any of several ways, including: Denial A way of coping with something that is either not understood or accepted. The child may fantasise about the dead person, talk about him or her in the present tense or continue to ask for the person despite being told that he or she is never coming back. Guilt This may be a result of needing to find a reason for the death. Some children feel they caused the death in some way, or feel guilty for being alive. Anger This may be directed at peers who have not had a loss, at the deceased person for leaving, or at other family members. Children often express their anger through very challenging behaviour. Idealisation Children may idealise the dead person and begin to imitate his or her mannerisms. Panic Children may fear other people close to them may die, or be scared that they may themselves die. They may feel insecure and worry about who will take care of them. Psychosomatic Complaints Children may lose their appetite,
suffer from insomnia or have nightmares and seem to be tired or
lethargic much of the time, complain about headaches or upset stomachs.
Some children may complain of having the same symptoms shown by
the dead person during the final stage of their illness. You will
probably recognise that the above responses are very much the same
as those felt by adults in similar situations, but with the added
complication of a less clear understanding of the process of death.
Children do not always have the words to express their feelings. Remember that stages of grief can include denial, anger, depression, guilt and acceptance. They do not fall into a sequence, and each stage may be revisited on more than one occasion. |