When you’ve lost someone close to you, it may be difficult to know where to turn. Well-meaning friends and family may struggle to say the right thing — because really, what is the right thing to say to someone who is grieving?
While no one can “fix” your grief, the role of community is so important when suffering from a loss. Having others hold space for your feelings and your memories can help validate your grief as well as help you celebrate your lost loved one in a healing way.
While surrounding yourself with community may be harder than ever now because of COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, the internet can help provide you with even larger communities of people to support you through your grief. Below are 10 Facebook groups for grief and loss support.
[Related: 7 Ways Social Media Can Benefit Mental Health]
Grief Speaks Out
Image Courtesy of Grief Speaks Out Facebook page
Grief Speaks Out is a Facebook group for anyone dealing with grief. This group is centered around normalizing your feelings and reminding you that there is no timeline to “get over” loss. This group allows people to share pictures, quotes, stories, and anything else to help them process their grief.
They also have a blog, which you can find here.
Sudden Death Grief Support
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The sudden, unexpected death of someone close to us can shake us to our core. After the sudden death of a loved one, you may experience disbelief, shock, anger, and even guilt.
This Facebook group is for anyone suffering the loss of a loved one who was taken suddenly. It is a space to share your story, vent, and seek or give support.
The Loss of Fathers and Father Figures
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Based out of Australia, this Facebook group is for anyone going through the loss of a father or father figure. According to the group’s page, it is “a place to share your thoughts and feelings and give remembrance to the special father figure that you’ve lost.”
Grief Support For Young Adults
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Losing a parent at any age is difficult, but as this Facebook page points out, losing a parent in your early adulthood comes with its own set of emotional trials and tribulations. It can be a time of isolation, new challenges, and being stuck between adolescence and the responsibilities of adulthood.
Borne out of the frustration of the lack of grief resources for young adults, this Facebook page offers a space for people in their 20s and 30s to share stories and resources, start discussions, ask questions, and support each other through difficult times.
LGBT Grief Loss Support
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The LGBT Grief Loss Support group is dedicated to being a safe, caring, and nonjudgmental space for people who are LGBTQ to grieve and support one another.
The page also includes a section with resources for those who have recently lost someone and are looking for LGBTQ-friendly grief resources other than online support.
Grieving Parents Healing Hearts
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Losing a child is absolutely devastating, and is often considered the worst stressor a person can go through. Losing a child can cause a profound family crisis, and mourning the loss of a child can last a lifetime.
This Facebook group is for any parent mourning the loss of a child. The group focuses on healing through positivity, compassion, empathy, and support.
Sibling Grief Support Group
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While there are many resources for those grieving the loss of a child or parent, it can be difficult to find support groups for people grieving the loss of a sibling.
Our siblings are the people we share our childhoods with, and the loss of a sibling can feel like losing a part of ourselves. This Facebook group is for people who have lost a sibling to share stories of loved ones and support others who have experienced this kind of grief.
Pregnancy Loss, Stillbirth and Miscarriage Support Group
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Losing a pregnancy to miscarriage or stillbirth is devastating. This kind of loss can result in grief, emptiness, and anger, as well as fear around the possibility of future pregnancies.
It can also be a particularly lonely kind of grief for parents because there are fewer rituals around the loss of an unborn child and friends and family may not know how to offer support.
This Facebook page offers support to women who have lost a pregnancy, allowing them a space to grieve for their unborn child.
Suicide Survivors Loss and Support
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Based out of Calgary, Canada, Suicide Survivors Loss and Support is a Facebook group for anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide.
The group was created to support people who are grieving the loss of a loved one due to suicide, as well as to spread awareness and remove the stigma around suicide and mental illness.
The page also provides resources for suicide prevention, support, and awareness, although some resources are specific to Calgary.
COVID-19 Loss Support
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For those who have lost a loved one to COVID-19, not only are you dealing with a loss, but you are doing so in social isolation, often far from the family and friends with whom you would normally surround yourself for support. This can make coping with grief and loss an especially challenging and even traumatic experience, and seeking support from online communities can be especially helpful.
This Facebook group is for those who have lost a loved one to COVID-19 and are looking for support navigating through grief in social isolation.
Resources
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/grieving-in-community_b_9371060
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