You have every right to mourn about the death of your best friend. Your best friend is the one who has been with you through thick and thin. This special person has sealed that gap in love that your parents or lovers might have failed to provide.
“Understand that grief comes in waves. It is natural to feel numb at times and “normal” at others. You might continue to grieve for months or years. It is okay.” Ashley Curiel, PsyD. said. Dealing with the loss of your best friend can become as difficult as losing a relative or a loved one. Here are some of the suggested ways to move on with your life after their death.
Keep the Memorabilia in a Safe
Keeping away anything that reminds you of your best friend might be an unpopular opinion and suggestion to share. However, it can be particularly helpful in times of terrible grief. Furthermore, grief is an overwhelming and painful emotion to experience for a long time. Adopting some physical-world adjustments will just be as effective as dealing with the pain emotionally.
Meet People who are Experiencing the Same Pain
You may also want to talk with people who are experiencing the same pain of loss as you do. That being said, you may want to have an emotional talk with their parents or peers. Through this, you gain some insights as to how they are adjusting to the situation physically and emotionally. It is better to seek for the advice and perspective of these people especially that you are all mourning for the loss of the same person. Because “As we process the reality of our loss, we are also trying to survive emotional pain.” A reminder from Jodi Clarke, MA, LPC/MHSP.
You may also consider having conversations about their loss with their dependents such as their spouse and their children. Hearing from them will make you realize that you are capable of being strong for others who might have a greater feeling of loss than you do have.
Write a Book
One of the best things to do when grieving for the death of a best friend is to channel the pain through your pen and paper. Writing a book can be helpful in providing you an external insight about the pain that you are experiencing. You will have a better understanding of the situation which might look unacceptable at the moment.
Try making a biography of your best friend so that you can recall all the beautiful things that he/she contributed to this world. Alternatively, you may want to use your best friend as a reference to a character of your very own fiction story.
Schedule Yearly Visits to the Tomb
Accepting their death can be painful. Because “When you miss someone, you need to process it,” says Gregory Kushnick, PsyD. You may plan to learn how to sustainably accept your loss once you return to your normal senses. Begin by scheduling future visits to their tomb. By doing this, you will still feel their positive presence in your life long after they have been gone.
Grieving for a best friend will never be easy. Above are just a few guidelines that you may follow. You may want to add your own ways of coping with the loss especially when you had a unique relationship with your best friend. The end goal, at the end of the day, is to finally accept and move on with your life after losing a gem in your universe.