Death and Dying
Title: I'm sad because someone I know recently died. Do you have suggestions for helping me deal with my feelings about death?
Information: We know that people frequently experience feelings of loss and sadness when someone dies, and they may need help to deal with their emotions. Talking with someone, such as a friend, a parent, another family member, a teacher or a counselor, about what happened and what you're feeling is one way to get help. There are some very good resources on the Internet that offer information on the topic of death and dying. Some of these are listed on the AskNSDL website. From the Home page, click on "Health" and then "Death and Dying." You may wish to review the other FAQ's on this topic, the web sites and the "Archived Questions" indexed in this category. http://asknsdl.askvrd.org//index.asp?cat=1913 Here are a few suggestions. Some were intended for younger children, and some were written especially for teens, but you may wish to read them all. For younger children, the Nemours Foundation web site, KidsHealth, offers three very good articles. 1. "When Somebody Dies" looks at “When and How Does it Happen," “Where Do People Go?" “What Does Grieving Mean?" and "What About Me?" http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/somedie_p2.html 2. "My pet Died. How Can I feel Better?" recognizes the sad feelings you might have when your pet dies and considers questions, such as "Why am I feeling like this?" http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/thought/pet_death.html 3. Someone in my Friend's Family Died. What Should I do?" Dr. Steve Dowshen talks about two friends, Stacey and Sarah, and how a death in one of their families affects them and their relationship. http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/family_friend_died.html Another web site for information on this topic is Grieving Child.org. It suggests things you can do, books to read and where to go for help. http://www.dougy.org/kid12.html Sometimes, the you might hear about news reports and tragic things that happen to people. If you're feeling upset or scared about events in the world, read the article, "Survival for the Fittest." It appears on the BAM! (Body and Mind) web site for kids that is produced by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). http://www.bam.gov/survival/terrorism.htm If you're a teenager, you might also want to look at the following articles written especially for you. "Someone I Know Has Died. What Should I Do?" is another article from the KidsHealth web site that addresses the teenage reader. http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emotions/someone_died.html Grieving child.org This section of the Dougy Foundation's web site considers the grieving process from the teenager's perspective: what is helpful and not-so-helpful. It suggests books and centers for help and support. There is a section devoted to what other teens have to say, too. http://www.dougy.org/kid13.html The librarians at your school and public library can probably help you find more information on how to deal with feelings when someone dies, whether they are your own or someone else's. They might suggest library materials that are on the shelves and which you can check out, such as books, magazine articles and videos. Thanks for your question. I hope this information has been helpful to you. The AskNSDL staff
Category: Death and Dying