How Does the Death of a Family Member or Friend Affect Development - Research Paper Example

How does the death of a family member or friend affect development? How does the death of a family member or friend affect development? The death of a loved one has proved to be traumatic to a lot of individuals in the society. As argued by Bertini (2009), the death of a loved one may end up to be an extended period of grief to an individual. Though there are no set timelines for grieving, Davies (2004) argues that caution need to be taken, so as to avoid a situation whereby the development of the grieving person may be affected as a great percentage of the individuals go through deep sorrow, guilt and anger. This paper shall analyze the implications of death on a friend or a family member, and how the same may affect the development of the individual. As seen in the work of Bertini (2009), the death of a love one alters the emotional responses of an individual. After the demise of the loved one, a lot of individuals go through denial from the loss, an aspect that may result to shock and depression. The emotional responses also alter their eating and sleeping habits, factors are mandatory for human development (DeRanieri, Clements & Henry, 2002). Grief can therefore be linked to low motivation levels in an individual, who ultimately results to depression; thus, stunted development. DeRanieri, Clements & Henry (2002) indicate that isolation is yet another characteristic of the grieving individuals. In the course of handling stress and isolation, individuals may result to suicidal attempts as they imagine no one cares for them. Additionally, these persons tend to be confused, in distress, guilty and angry. In the long run, they end up being stigmatized by the entire society. If these conditions persist, the individuals are not able to survive the grief, maintain the isolation which ultimately hinders their development especially in terms of personality and social development. Death hinders development of an individual as grieving persons have been indicated not to have the will to form relationships with other persons in the society (Bertini, 2009). The author continues to argue that most survivors are not willing to share their experiences for fear of a renewal of the feelings (Bertini, 2009). Such individuals rarely form new relationships, make friends easily and interact with ease with their age mates (Marwit & Enright, 2002). From this observation, it is validated to argue that individuals suffering from the loss of a loved one tend to display introvert characteristics, and will always keep to themselves. This affects their development, especially if the affected is a young adult, as their life is full of fear and suspicion. The death of a close relative can lead to a mourning process that can have emotional impact on an individual both at work, home and at school. Even though, mourning the death of somebody is a common reaction, sometimes grief can turn out to be extremely painful, devastating and exhausting (Anderson and Gaugler, 2006). Individuals in grief might encounter physical effects, like exhaustion, sleep distraction, changes in appetite, anxiety, and headaches and discomforts. Normal psychological indications include being distracted, absent-minded, irritable, confused, or disorientated (Anderson and Gaugler, 2006). A few months after the death of an individual, one may find himself or herself provoking emotions or shifting reactions. Several people undergo these periods not in a consistent manner, but in random moves through different stages and even shifting between them, which affects their daily activities all through the mourning period (Greenberg, Koole and Pyszczynski, 2004). The first stage is normally shock and disbelief; this is a shocking and confusing status that the loss has not actually happened which might last from quite a lot of hours to a lot days. Next, an individual gets angry at what has happened, then guilt, where they may start blaming themselves. Then an individual feels sad for what has happened or one may experience a profound sense of harm and sometimes cry (Hansen, Winzeler and Topolinski, 2010). There may be fear of anxiety within the individual, whereby they may panic or have anxiety, and doubts about the future (Royzman and Sabini, 2011). It can also create fear about an individual’s own death. The final stage is acceptance, where an individual adjust to the death and forgets about it, while remaining to respect the deceaseds memorial (Royzman and Sabini, 2011). Studies have discovered that individuals with certain character personalities are likely to have an ongoing depression after the death of a loved one. These comprise of individuals who are dependent so much on the individual like a spouse, and individuals who deal with the situation by thinking about the death (Royzman and Sabini, 2011). Lack of support from the social environment increases the challenges one encounters when coping with the death of an individual. This support comprises of the individuals family, associates, neighbors, and members of the society who can provide psychological, material, and monetary assistance. After the loss of an immediate relative, most people undergo a number of associated harms. The loss of a spouse, for instance, may trigger a loss of revenue and transformations in way of life and the daily practices. These are all connected to support from the community (Royzman and Sabini, 2011). Research indicates that, men have several problems as compared to women after the death of a spouse (Anderson and Gaugler, 2006). They tend to have an awful depression and several well-being problems as compared to women after the passing of their spouse. Other researchers argue most men have poor social support from the community (Greenberg, Koole, and Pyszczynski, 2004). It has been indicated by researchers that, youthful or adolescent grieving people have several difficulties after the death of a loved one than the senior grieving individuals. The young individuals do have a lot of medical health challenges, misery signs, mental and bodily symptoms. However, the younger grieving people might recover quickly than adult grieving, as the youth have a lot of courage and support from their friends (Greenberg, Koole and Pyszczynski, 2004). Mourning individuals usually need the support of others to just pay attention and care, and not pose a lot of guidance. If an individual is trying to be sympathetic to an individual who is mourning, it is important to note that the reactions he or she is undergoing are general, and the concentration and length of these emotions will differ from one person to another and they cannot be hurried. An individual can be assisted to heal during the grieving process using the following proposed suggestions proposed by (Greenberg, Koole and Pyszczynski, 2004). An individual should take time alone and time with friends whom they trust and who should pay attention when they need to exchange information (Anderson and Gaugler, 2006). An individual should try to allow themselves to accept the care provided by others even if they are uncooperative or difficult (Anderson and Gaugler, 2006). Assisting a friend or family member suffering just like them may create a feeling of intimacy with that individual (Anderson and Gaugler, 2006). An individual may also need to give himself or herself extra times of things that encourage and replenish the grieving individual (Anderson and Gaugler, 2006). Activities like afternoon naps, taking a trip, and helping people in the community may give an individual an emotional uplift (Anderson and Gaugler, 2006). Short-term goals can be stated, to help the individual to forget about the loss of a loved one. Financial support should be provided to avoid prolonged stress within the grieving individual (Anderson and Gaugler, 2006). Limitations and implication of the study This data provided does not provide information on how long the grieving process should take in case of a loved one’s death. It does not also explain how grieving can be a process of healing as well as clarify the normal grief reactions, and how cultural backgrounds affect the grieving process. Therefore, more research needs to be conducted to cover these areas. The findings from the research will in turn assist in answering the research question. Finally, the findings will be used to help all individual grieving the death of their loved ones. Conclusion It is important to understand that everybody reacts to death in a different way and this reaction does affect the individual in different ways. The closer an individual is to the dead, the more one can judge other persons responses. The mourning process can be brief and might trigger physical illness for one member of the family, and it can be long and sorrowful for somebody else. An individual may appear cruel, while another one might feel preoccupied and sentimental. References Anderson, K., & Gaugler J. (2006).The Grief Experiences of Certified Nursing Assistants; Personal Growth and Complicated Grief. Omega 54(4):301- 318. Bertini, K. (2009). Understanding and Preventing Suicide: The Development of Self-Destructive Patterns and Ways to Alter Them. NY: ABC-CLIO. Davies, R. (2004). New understandings of parental grief: literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 46 (5): 506-13. DeRanieri, J., Clements, P., & Henry, G. (2002). When catastrophe happens: Assessment and intervention after sudden traumatic deaths. Journal of Psychological Nursing and Mental Health Services, 40(4): 30-37. Greenberg, J., Koole, S. L., & Pyszczynski, T. (2004). Handbook of experimental existential psychology. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Hansen, J., Winzeler, S., & Topolinski, S. (2010). When death makes you smoke: a terror management perspective on the effectiveness of cigarette on-pack warnings. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 46: 226. Marwit, S. & Enright, B. (2002). Reliability of diagnosing complicated grief: A closer look. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58: 747-57. Royzman, E. & Sabini, J. (2001). Something it takes to be an emotion: The interesting case of disgust. Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior 31 (1): 29–59. Read More