Losing a parent can cause a wide range of emotions, including:
- Shock: Shock can be a natural response to help you accept what happened.
- Confusion: You might feel confused, have trouble thinking, or have a sense of unreality.
- Guilt: You might feel guilty for not being there for your parent or for experiencing relief if they were in pain.
- Anger: You might feel anger at the doctors, nurses, funeral director, or God.
- Sadness: You might feel sadness or regret for things that happened in the past.
- Fear: You might fear how the future will look without your parent.
- Isolation: You might feel isolated or lonely.
- Depression: Feelings of depression are a natural reaction to grief.
- Physical symptoms: You might experience physical symptoms like aches and pains, sleeplessness, or appetite changes.
- Identity change: You might feel like you've changed from being a child to being part of the older generation.
Your feelings are valid, even if they don't match what others think you should feel.