Mourning the Departure of a Mother: Strategies for Daughters to Cope Effectively
Losing a mother is a deeply emotional experience. Here, we explore various ways to cope with this loss and find comfort during the grieving process.
Local support groups, online chat forums, and mental health professionals can provide invaluable assistance. Keeping up with traditions from your mother or starting new ones may help ease the burden of loss. Daughters who lose their mother may experience grief differently than sons, and a 2015 study found that women have a more intense grief response and more difficulty adjusting to the loss of a parent.
Focusing on happy reminders such as pictures, books, or keepsakes can provide comfort. Honoring a mother's memory can take various forms, such as donating to her favourite charity or achieving a personal goal. A 2021 study linked parental loss with depression and a compromised sense of self in young adults.
Grief is linked to increased chances of cancer, cardiac issues, immune disorders, and high blood pressure. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) lists regret, remorse, anxiety, guilt, emptiness, rage, anger, sadness, and numbness as normal emotions in the year following parental loss.
Offering support to others who have experienced parental loss can be a meaningful way to cope with grief. Mindfulness can help acknowledge painful memories without dwelling on them during the grieving process. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, and Befrienders Worldwide offer immediate help for those experiencing overwhelming grief or considering self-harm.
Maternal figures can provide guidance and understanding outside of a blood connection. Loss of a mother may mean losing an important part of your support system, causing feelings of regret for lost family traditions and cultural knowledge. Women who experience the loss of a mother are more likely than men to binge drink, have a greater decline in self-esteem, and have a lower level of personal mastery.
The death of a mother can have more negative effects on daughters than on sons, according to a study. The effects of grief after the loss of a mother may impair daily functioning or persist for longer than a year, potentially requiring the support of a mental health professional. If extreme grief persists for more than a year or interferes with daily tasks, speaking with a mental health professional may be beneficial.
Starting your own traditions may help you find comfort knowing your children will have both yours and your mother's traditions to carry on with them. Books like "Healing After the Loss of Your Mother: A Grief & Comfort Manual", "Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss", and "How to Survive the Loss of a Parent: A Guide for Adults" can offer guidance during the grieving process.
In Germany, while common names of psychotherapists specialising in grief counseling may not be explicitly listed in search results, Matthias Kopp is a known psychotherapist practicing grief therapy in Germany.
Remember, it's okay to seek help and to lean on others during this difficult time. Grieving is a personal journey, and everyone's experience is unique. But knowing that you're not alone can make the journey a little less daunting.
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