Even though we're all certain to die one day, most people can leave the planning to the last minute, or not at all. This failure to plan is one of the most common reasons some families fall apart when a loved one dies. A combination of heightened emotions, financial strain, and grief causes estrangement in families.
When someone dies, the whole family system is thrown off. Grieving family members find themselves disinterested and/or incapable of behaving in the ways they used to. Not only do people have to cope with grief, but they also must deal with the fact that a vital piece of the family is gone.
When a close relative dies, it not only causes grief for individual family members, but it also affects how your family functions. Suddenly roles change, people may behave out of character, opinions become strong and riffs can rise up in the heat of emotions that may come out in ways not intended.
You will need to file the will with the probate court in your parent's city to begin probate, the legal process of distributing assets and settling debts after death. If your parent died without a will, the court will decide how your parent's assets are distributed based on state laws.
Children who experience parental loss are at a higher risk for many negative outcomes, including mental issues (e.g., depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, post-traumatic stress symptoms), shorter schooling, less academic success, lower self-esteem5, and more sexual risk behaviors6.
Losing a parent can lead to increased risks for long-term emotional and mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Losing a parent in childhood only increases these odds, and about one in 20 children aged 15 and younger have suffered the loss of one or both parents.
The death of parent is an incredibly stressful event for a child, and one that can have profound consequences for the child's future wellbeing.
Among people between the ages of 35 and 44, only one-third of them (34%) have experienced the death of one or both parents. For people between 45 and 54, though, closer to two-thirds have (63%). Among people who have reached the age of 64, a very high percentage 88% — have lost one or both parents.
The five stages – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance – are often talked about as if they happen in order, moving from one stage to the other. You might hear people say things like 'Oh I've moved on from denial and now I think I'm entering the angry stage'. But this isn't often the case.
Even though we're all certain to die one day, most people can leave the planning to the last minute, or not at all. This failure to plan is one of the most common reasons some families fall apart when a loved one dies. A combination of heightened emotions, financial strain, and grief causes estrangement in families.
One of the most common reasons why families grow apart is distance. Children become adults, high school students apply for distant universities, and so forth. This is a turning point among any families, which if not carefully handled, could mean growing not only physically apart but also emotionally.
The death of a parent, especially a mother, often “removes an important link between an adult child and other kin” (Rosenthal 1985:970). The death also may reactivate childhood conflicts and rivalry among siblings caused by earlier problematic family relations (Merrill 1996).
The few studies that have compared responses to different types of losses have found that the loss of a child is followed by a more intense grief than the death of a spouse or a parent [5].
Look out for one another, and don't forget to take care of yourself. When it comes to the legal and planning aspects, be respectful of your parent's wishes. Try not to let the physical and monetary issues escalate because of heightened emotions — show your siblings compassion and be honest about your own feelings.
Early parental loss is associated with negative outcomes including anxiety; depression; prolonged grief reactions; negative effects on sense of self; increased risk for suicide, substance abuse, and eating problems; difficulty with executive function; reduced quality of life; and changes to how survivors approach adult ...
Worse than losing a parent
Surprisingly, the risk of death following the loss of a sibling is higher than that after losing a parent. An earlier study by co-author Jiong Li from Aarhus University revealed at 50 per cent increased risk of an early death among children who had lost a parent.
Kids can grieve even if they aren't old enough to fully conceptualize death. However, it might take them longer to process what has happened and begin showing their feelings about it. Grievers of all ages experience shock and denial after death.
It is possible for a suddenly bereaved person to be defined as suffering from a grief disorder and PTSD.
Caregiver PTSD (particularly for family caregivers) is a prevalent mental health condition that impacts many people who are caregivers for elderly relatives, terminally ill relatives or other family members.
Losing a loved one suddenly also raised the risk of major depression, excessive use of alcohol, and anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and phobias.
Working through the grief process and allowing it to run its natural course is what needs to happen in order for a person to truly realize that he/she can be happy again. For some people, it takes a long time to get to the stage of grief that involves hope and a willingness to be happy again.