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Normalising

With all the emotional turmoil, having to sort out practical issues and adjusting to life without your loved one, you might feel confused or be wondering whether what you are experiencing is normal for someone bereaved in this way. What is 'normal' and to be expected when someone is bereaved through drugs and alcohol ?

Bereavement models

Differing models have been developed by people working in the field to describe a common core of experience for people who’ve been bereaved. All models are descriptive rather than proscriptive – though they may be useful as tools to think about grief you shouldn’t feel they can accurately tell you what you will feel next. Different people find different models useful – have a look at the ones below and see which ones you find useful. The Dual Process Model (Margaret Stroebe & Henk Schut, 1995)

Normalising

Is what you are experiencing normal for someone bereaved in this way ? Normalising is about helping people to view their experience as ‘normal’ given the particular circumstance they are in.  Many people who experience grief can feel very alone and isolated, and so it can be important for someone to know that they are not the only one who is experiencing those type of feelings