Losing A Friend To A Disease

When I lost my friend to prostate cancer, I didn’t know how to feel. The pain was so much for me to handle. So many have lost family and friends to this disease. What do you do to handle the pain?

Grief can be tragic and painful

Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in men. It can not only affect the patients but also the family and friends of those suffering.

Losing a loved one is a tragic, painful event where the person in loss feels a great deal of shock and hopelessness. Grief is a natural response to loss, the emotional suffering that occurs when we lose someone we love. The more significant the loss comes with greater sadness, and more intense it is in the event of the death of a loved one.

The five stages of grief and sadness

There are 5 stages of sadness:

• Denial
• Fury
• Depression
• Acceptance
• Situation adjustment and reintegration

Of course, everyone doesn’t go through all these stages, and not in this order. We don’t know when we are going to be sad, angry, grieving, or mad. What you need to remember is that it is perfectly normal to feel all these emotions and there is no fixed time when they will appear or disappear. The most difficult periods become less intense and shorter over time, but it is quite often many years later to feel overwhelming sadness, especially in the moments we want to share something with that loved one.

The other emotions that accompany grief

Experts say that the relief from the death of a person who has long struggled with a serious, terminal illness, such as prostate cancer, is a normal emotion. But so many people feel guilty about it. In the case of sudden death, people feel anger and often think that they could have somehow prevented it, though they could not.

Losing a close person can cause many worries and fears. We can feel sadness, helplessness, and insecurity. All these feelings sometimes lead to panic attacks, and we often question our lives and mortality.

Although sadness is an emotional process, it often involves physical or health problems, such as fatigue, weight loss or sudden weight gain, nausea, pain, and insomnia.

How do you grieve?

You need to find support; go to friends or family members. Don’t avoid them because you will need them even though you feel like you can make through it alone. People often want to help in such situations, but don’t know how. Be open about the support you need and your feelings.

After the death of a loved one, you need to take care of yourself, as high emotional stress can affect your health. Apart from the physical, also worry about your mental health as well because your body and mind are connected. Try to sleep properly and eat regularly. Avoid medications that will immediately lift your mood because after the effect wears off and you will get back into a more depressed state.

Normal may look different

Get ready for the triggers of grief, such as holidays, birthdays, anniversaries any situation that will awaken your memories and feelings. Be prepared for these blows, it is normal to be sad on those occasions. Talk to people and don't hide how you feel.

Don’t be afraid to express your sadness. You will not forget your loved one, nor will anyone expect that. Remember all the beautiful moments you shared together. Express sadness in many ways. Write your thoughts in a diary, letter to your loved one, create a picture book or some work of artwork.

There will be good days and bad days

It’s going to take a minute to get back to yourself and feel normal. I know you don’t see the bright side right now, but you will feel better one of these days. Just remember to take time and smell the roses for yourself.