Contributed
Often we don’t know what to say or do for grieving parents, so we do nothing. However, the month of July is designated as Bereaved Parents Awareness Month, a time for supporting our friends and loved ones who’ve experienced the loss of a child. Each year in the United States, the parents of over 50,000 children face the tragedy of losing a child. Rather than looking ahead and planning their children’s futures, bereaved parents are often trapped for years in the memories of their children’s lives.
Bereaved mothers and fathers experience more physical and emotional issues than do non-bereaved parents, including severe depression; mortality due to illness and suicide; and failed marriages. The extent, the intensity and the need for professional help depends upon the degree of problems and coping resources these parents have acquired prior to their loss.
Individuals interested in helping bereaved parents recover are encouraged to engage them in constructive and rewarding activities which produce absence of meaning and well-being.
This July, join various health professionals, friends, and family members, to embrace them during Bereaved Parents Awareness Month.
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