Grieving parent

[Mickeytalks]

My Dad passed away 2.5 yrs ago and my mum is struggling with talking about him, making decisions and generally taking macro and micro decisions which sometimes look easy. Does anyone have any advice on how to help a grieving parent open up and talk about their loss and the things they find difficult? It's so tricky to bring it up as they get emotional and it feels mean to upset them. But my siblings and I would like to help them but we can't if they won't say how they feel.

I had huge problems after DH died, I couldn’t look at any photos. Got hysterical if a photo showed up on screen. I could barely talk coherently anyway and his sudden death wrecked me.
I went to see a woman, who as well as being a widow ( she’d written a book which was given an award by the BMA) had trained as a therapist. It was an odd tapping therapy — yes it sounds weird and it did seem strange but after about half an hour of this tapping ( just looked it up Emotional Freedom Technique) I whipped out some photos ( that I’d had to ask a friend to put in an envelope for me) showed them to this lady and told her all about DH. It might be worth looking into.
I found talking with other people who were widowed the most helpful thing.
Your mum can join Way-Up which is a social group that organises local meet ups.
There will also be a Mumsnet for widows somewhere online ( sadly the one I was a member of closed after a group took it all onto FB)
Im sorry for your loss, it’s horrible and life changing but it can be helped.

Hello, I don’t have any particular advice as my dad pre deceased my mum by about 20 years, he wasn’t particularly emotionally articulate. I would advise maybe posting in the Elderly Parents board in Other Stuff, especially as there are practical implications and you are more likely to get good advice there.

way-up.co.uk