Perceptions on Death as the Inevitable Cessation of Life in a Living Organism - Essay Example

Perceptions on Death Death is the inevitable cessation of life in a living organism or the of the organism after that event. (http wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn). Most people have dealt with the death of a loved one at some point in their life. (http://faculty.mckendree.edu). Studies show that children go through a series of stages in their understanding of death. For example, preschool children see death as reversible, temporary and impersonal. Between the ages of five and nine, most children may begin to realize that death is final and that all living things die. During this stage, they may also tend to personify death and associate it with a skeleton or the angel of death. Some of them have nightmares about these symbols. From nine through adolescence, children begin to comprehend fully that death is irreversible, that all living things die, and that they too will die some day. (www.hospicenet.org). The death of close relatives or other significant persons in an adolescent’s life can be a quite distressing event for teenagers. Most teens conceptualize death as irreversible and universal. They also understand that death is an inevitable part of life. They, however, do not fully realize that death could be a reality for themselves or their peers. There is, therefore, an acute sense of adventure in them during this period and they don’t mind taking risks. They may also act as if they want to challenge death and defy death. As they grow and mature as adults, their concept of death gets modified by the personal experiences they undergo. Some adolescents’ perception of death is not realistic and hence their response to grief also becomes unreasonable or illogical. On the other hand, teens are usually aware that when a person has a fatal illness death is a logical event in the case. If a parent, sibling or other close relative has a terminal illness, some counseling may help the adolescent to cope with the situation better. However, there is no absolutely correct way to educate a teen about the concept of death. The efforts that a family has to make in helping a teen to cope with a relative’s death can reduce the distress and anxiety of a teen. It will be better to allow them to attend the funeral if they wish to do so, if the family’s values value and culture permit that. This would give them a reassurance that they are at least doing something for the departed. “Grief is a very painful process for both adults and children, but grieving should be encouraged. How a child grieves or reacts to the loss will depend on age, previous experience with death and his/her preparedness for the event.” (http://www.cfc) Death essentially generates grief in all humans. However, how one deals with it differ from individual to individual depending on the age, maturity and understanding the concepts of life. Grief may extend over a period of weeks to months but finally wanes as time heals the wound. Then the teen accepts death as an inevitable of life and becomes able to adjust with the loss. On an emotional level, death and the resultant grief causes several reactions in a teen like shock, numbness, crying, sadness, anger and feelings of guilt. Depending on the situation and nature of support a teen receives to cope with grief, he or she may manifest symptoms like eating disorder, separation anxiety, sleep problems, persisting anger and conduct disorders. In certain cases, it is also possible that the teens may begin to develop increasing risk behavior including promiscuity, loss of pleasure in activities etc. Their school performance also may start to decline. When a teen displays these tendencies as a consequence of a relative’s death it will be only appropriate to seek the help of a mental health clinician. “After a parent dies, many children will act younger than they are. The child may temporarily become more infantile, demanding food, attention and cuddling.” (www.liveandlearn.com). The death of a relative can also be an extremely disruptive element in a teen’s life. It entails the reorganization of the family and it will necessitate drastic changes to which a ten has to adjust. Adapting to the change may be stressful to the teens. When a mother dies her children loose the support she has given as a nurturer, and sometimes such a situation requires a teenage daughter to take over the responsibility which becomes a heavy onus on her. When a father is lost, the family is deprived of the breadwinner and compels another member in the family to assume this role. Thus either the mother or a teenage child has to bear the brunt, which can be very stressing on an immature son or daughter. Teens may react to such loss with sadness, feelings of brooding isolation, detachment from peers and decreased school achievement. They may be angry about assuming roles in the family that mature them prematurely. Since teens have a love-hate relationship with their parents, if a parent has a terminal illness, it is important that the teen help to make peace with the dying parent. If this is not possible or the parental death is sudden, then the teen may have pervasive anger and guilt. Adolescents live with hopes and dreams about tomorrow. Interest in the future and yearning for life remain intense in teen children of terminally ill people despite worsening illness and deteriorating body functions. They want to stay involved in their illness and its management. They will look for information, encouragement and more importantly, support. They need time for privacy and reflection and time for angry outbursts to give vent to their grief. When cure may not be possible teens will look for hope and support to help them deal with the situation. Each age group will show a different pattern of reaction in such circumstances. While some are often willing to talk to people outside of the family and peer-group, some may show risk taking tendencies, distress, depression anger, suicidal thoughts, non-compliance, rejection of former teaching, role confusion etc. However, a common feature of all categories can be identified as the element of confusion and sense of loss. While there are no definite methods to eliminate or alleviate grief some intervention strategies can be very helpful in trying to help people to manage grief. The best thing is to listen to them and try to motivate. There needs to be some one to support and create a feeling in the grieving teen that others are available. Allow the aggrieved to talk and make choices, and one should always make sure not to create the impression that he is trying to take the grief away. Mourning is the customary way to recognize death and to register grief. Funeral directors have experience in assisting the bereaved in coping with death. Thus with the help of other people in the family and love and care they display they can help teens overcome their grief. Works Cited Homepage Princeton: Accessed on 7 December 2006. Prater, Emily S: Perceptions of Death and the Effects of Emotion. Accessed on 7 December 2006. Homepage Hospice: Talking To Children about Death. Accessed on 7 December 2006. Homepage Live and Learn: Grief and Children. Accessed on 6 December 2006. Homepage CFC: Helping Children Understand Death. Accessed on 6 December 2006. Read More