Grief begins before death

All content is checked by medical journalists.

Often the head knows that death is indispensable, but the heart always draws hope for a miracle. The dying process is a mess of emotions. Even before you die, you have to say goodbye to the person affected bit by bit and mourn. Psychologists call this grief "anticipatory" because it occurs before the actual loss, awaiting it.

Chris Paul, social psychologist and head of the Mourning Institute Germany, describes four tasks of mourning:

understand the reality of death and loss
experiencing the diversity of feelings
Perceiving and shaping changes in the environment
assign the dead person a new place

You have to cope with these tasks somehow. You can start this before the death of the person concerned and afterwards it can take up to several years. Don't pressure yourself to function and be happy like you did before, but work to make sure you can enjoy your life again.

Talk about it if you feel like it.
Do crazy things: dance in the living room at night, scream to heaven.
Write down what moves you.
Feel your emotions.
Let the tears flow.
Read books about grief.
Visit a psychologist or grief group.
Take small steps.
Postpone big decisions.
Think about the meaning of life and death.
Re-evaluate your own life.
Allow yourself to receive help from others.

Talk about dying

Dying and death are topics that most people prefer not to think about - and certainly not want to talk about. However, if you want to support a seriously ill person, it is advisable to talk to him about dying, insofar as he allows it. For example, ask him