Unexpected grief is one of the most intense emotions a person can ever go through. Losing a loved one is never a part of the plan, and navigating life in the aftermath feels powerfully overwhelming. There is a range of emotions any survivor may feel including anger, sadness, physical pain, and complete disorientation. Moving on feels impossible, but it must be done because life will continue despite the loss. Monge & Associates have some advice for anyone going through this, and our Atlanta wrongful death lawyer provides details in the post below.
Give It Time
There is no way around it. Grief takes time, and it will be different for everyone as to how long it manifests. There will be days that are just too hard, and ones where the sting is not as sharp. The further into the journey you tread isn’t really a part of the equation because it can hit you at anytime, anywhere, but that doesn’t mean that it will always feel as intense as the early days. Hold onto how you have healed and use that to channel strength as you move through the bad days.
Find the Answers
More often than not, finding answers about what happened to lead to the wrongful death incident gifts a unique sense of closure. The most common causes of wrongful death in Georgia are vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, and nursing home neglect cases. Yet, this is still a wide scope for finding out what actually happened. This journey may lead you to our door, and the attorneys at Monge & Associates in Atlanta, Georgia, are experienced in wrongful death investigations and litigation.
Start a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
The process of finding answers will often lead you to a wrongful death lawsuit. In Georgia, a wrongful death claim must be filed within two years to avoid exceeding the restrictions in place from the Statute of Limitations. Whether it was a drunk driver car accident or workplace incident, loved ones can file to have the death of their family member brought to justice in a legal sense. Our office in Atlanta, Georgia is available for appointments if you want to come in and discuss what life will look like after your Wrongful Death claim.
Meet a Support Group
Survivors are never alone. There are millions of wrongful deaths in Georgia each year, and that means a high number of people being left with grief to navigate. Support groups are a way for people to share experiences and give each other advice in the hardest of times. Being able to sit down with someone who understands your unique pain and experience is invaluable and may be the biggest tool you have for finding a way forward. People will attend from a range of backgrounds who have lost a person they love because of a variety of circumstances, whether it was a vehicle incident or because of medical malpractice, grief is grief when all is said and done.
Recognize The Signs of Struggle
Sometimes, grief takes us to dark places. These are nothing to feel ashamed about, but they do need addressing so that you don’t fall into the deep end. Recognizing when your mind is really in crisis will help you to seek help at the pivotal moment. Extreme symptoms of loss may include hallucinations, a complete disengagement from daily activities like socializing and work, failing to eat and take care of basic self-care needs, and turning to drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism. All of these things are red flag activities, and it is vital that you see them as they are in order to heal and stay on the healthiest path to recovery.
Start a New Routine
Life will never be the same, and this is the biggest thing to overcome and accept. While you may never be at complete peace with the fact, finding ways to set a new routine and engage with this changed reality will help. This might look like selling your house and moving somewhere for a fresh start. It could also be something as small as letting someone else cook for you for a little while. While you may have built your life together, making small changes to carry on is possible and necessary.
Accept Help
Grief is a strange time indeed. There are bound to be inundations of offers from family members, friends, and colleagues that want to help and show support. While the last thing you may want to do is see people and be looked after, it is genuinely helpful and will absolutely support getting you to a place of protecting your own well-being. You don’t have to open your door to everyone, and nor does it have to be all of the time. You are, of course, allowed moments of solitude and these are a necessary part of the process. However, isolation is never the best answer.
Respect the Process
Ultimately, you must respect the process. Your body is going through something extremely traumatic, and it will take an amount of time to adjust. You may be experiencing intense physical symptoms while also coping with the emotional side of grief too. It is common to not feel hungry, avoid personal hygiene tasks, face insomnia, and be so intensely angry you just don’t know what to do with it. Respect how you are feeling and let your mind go where it needs to go as long as you are safe. It is important to be able to draw the line between safe situations and ones that may put you in danger.
Monge & Associates has offices in 31 locations across 18 states. You can find us in Atlanta, Georgia, Alabama, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Our experience and cases stretch far and wide, and we are confident that we will be able to help. From premises liability to car accident lawsuits in Atlanta, we can assist you. Make an appointment, and our team will support you through the next stages of your grief journey to bring more resolution to the process.
If you have been navigating a wrongful death claim and need some expert insight, call now for a free consultation on 800-421-0174.