It can be difficult to walk through the experience of grieving when others don’t understand what you are going through.
Grief Share, which offers a variety of support groups, suggests that finding a community of others who are going through the same circumstances or have gone through them helps people face the challenges of feeling isolated and a range of other emotions and moves them toward rebtuilding their life.
Today, technology can make these connections even easier. While there is value to building relationships face to face, the Internet can draw from a larger circle and pool of experiences. Today the use of social media, networking and online communities to build connections is commonplace.
The National Funeral Directors Association says shared experiences helps normalize grief, especially because it can bring such a wide range of emotions from sadness to anger.
Online groups are helpful because they are available to anyone, regardless of location. Depending on the group, you can often find someone to connect with any time of the day or night.
Sometimes, circumstances around grief can be unique and it is difficult to find others who have lived through similar experiences. The Compassionate Friends supports families after the loss of a child. The group offers Online Support Community, or live chat, that encourages friendships among those “who understand the emotions you’re experiencing.”
Online grief support can be found in a number of places from Facebook groups to grief organizations offering the virtual groups as a resource. In some cases the grief support begins in a face-to-face group, but can carry over into an online community that continues to keep people connected.
Funeral directors can often help find grief support options in the area. At Friedrich-Jones and Overman-Jones Funeral Homes in Naperville and Plainfield, the family and staff offers online grief resources such as Beyond Indigo, which includes online forums by circumstance — the loss of a parent, sibling or stillborn — and even specialized categories related to age, such as teen support, and religious beliefs.
Another feature of this service includes receiving a daily affirmation through email or a weekly item to do, such as watching a funny movie that can help people move forward through their grief.
For more information on grief support and online resources, contact Friedrich-Jones Naperville at 630-355-0213 or Plainfield at 815-436-9221 or visit friedrichjones.com/grief-support.
