Grief Causes, Signs, Treatment: Children, Adults, Teens. How to Cope With Grief (The person I know is grieving)

If you are not sure how to cope with grief, or help someone cope with it, show love as love is much better than any complicated grief treatment. Show them that you love them and that you care about them. Be there for them whenever they need you. Assert yourself sometimes, too. Be the one who will stay by their side, and manage others who want to show support, because there are not many people a grieving person can handle. They should be focused on how to get through it, not to reassure other people that they are fine.

No matter what, don't ignore their grief. Listen to them, and always make sure to say something consoling, as a way of dealing with grief and loss.

One of the best ways of dealing with grief and loss, or to help someone deal with it is choosing words wisely. Even though you mean well when you say certain things, it is better to leave some things unsaid. For example, don't say:

• "I know how you feel"
• They are in a better place now
• It's all a part of God's plan
• They (the deceased) wouldn't like to see you like that
• Anything that sounds like a command, like, 'you should', or 'you will'
• Don't promise them that they'll feel better in no time
• Don't suggest that distraction will help them get over it
• Never tell them that it was high time they got themselves together
• Never suggest that God would have never given them so much burden if He thought they couldn't handle it.
• If you experienced grief as well, never compare that to their own, and don't expect they should be going through the same things as you.

Instead, you should try something like:

• "This must be really hard for you"
• "It's hard to understand why these things happen"
• "I can't begin to understand how you feel"
• Be specific how you want to help them

When someone you know goes through phases of grief, and if you how to handle grief, and you want to help, don't say general things such as: "If you need me for anything, just call me." Grieving people usually don't know what exactly they need.

You can offer something more specific instead, like, taking out the trash, bringing in the mail, walking the pets, something recurring. Help them with some daily routines.

Check this article on helpguide to learn how to help a grieving person.