You know when you hear that a loved one has passed on that you will be grieving for a while. First, you want to make sure their needs are met so you contact one of the funeral homes in Eatonville, WA, and ensure that they are in good hands. Then, you go through the motions, plan out their services, spend time with your family, and so on. But as the days turn into weeks and the services are behind you, you might start to see certain signs that grief counseling could be a good idea for your situation. You don’t want grief to completely take over your life or your future. You might need grief counseling if you find any of these things to be true.

You Want To Be Alone–Always

It’s perfectly natural for someone who is grieving to have times when they just want to be alone. That’s normal and healthy. But if you want to be alone all of the time, that’s not a good thing. You might find yourself pushing family members and friends away and declining offers for lunches or coffee outings. Being alone here and there to grieve is one thing. Isolating yourself is another. If you never feel like being around people and you actively try to avoid others, you should get some counseling to help yourself out of the grief.

Your Physical Ailments Won’t Go Away

Grief is something you feel very deeply in your emotions, but it can also show up in physical ways. That’s okay. It’s normal. However, if you are grieving so hard that you are physically ill or seeing other physical symptoms that just aren’t going away, you might need to take care of your emotional state so you can rid of the physical symptoms as well. You might get constant headaches, for example, or have a cold or cough that just won’t let go. See a doctor, but also check in with a counselor for extra help.

Your Days Are Getting Worse, Not Better

There’s nothing that is going to make your situation ‘better,’ but you should see that as time passes, you adjust to the fact that your loved one is gone and you find a way to deal with it. You might go a day without crying and then maybe two. But if you find that the opposite is true and things are actually feeling worse instead of better, you should get a counselor on the job to help you turn things around.

You know yourself well and it’s important for you to recognize certain signs in yourself that show you things are not going well. You will likely concentrate on services with the funeral homes in Eatonville, WA at first so you can get your loved one’s needs met. After that, when you are allowed to grieve however you choose, the professionals at Weeks’ Dryer Mortuary are here to offer you grief resources should you feel that you need them. We have connections to support groups, counselors, and more in the area.

There are often different parts to the services held at funeral homes in Lakewood, WA if the family is going with a traditional route. First, there is normally a visitation. Then, the next day or later that day, there is a formal funeral. Last, there’s a burial service at the cemetery. As someone invited to the service or as a member of the community, you can attend one or all of those items. Many people decide to go to everything or, just to the visitation or just the service. If you choose to attend the visitation, whether you are going to the service later or not, it’s nice to have some details about that particular part of the proceedings.

Formal Attire Isn’t Necessary

While you will want to wear something decent and nothing with paint stains and rips in it, you also don’t have to go all out, wear black, or get into a full suit or dress. Since visitations are more casual, you can feel comfortable stopping over at the funeral home on a break from work without changing. You don’t want to be disrespectful in what you wear, but you also don’t have to go all out.

Open House Feel

While you never want to be late to an actual funeral service, visitations are different. The visitation will be listed for a certain chunk of time and you can come and go within that timeframe at any time you want. If the visitation, for example, is from 10-noon, you might arrive at 10:45 and leave at 11:15. You don’t have to come right at the start and you don’t have to stay until the end. No one but close family will do that and, really, it’s better if you don’t. Stay for 20-30 minutes, see the person, share sympathies with the family, and be on your way.

Approaching The Casket Isn’t Mandatory

Some people go to the visitation so they can see a friend in their casket and get closure over their death. Others go to support the family and share their condolences. No matter what reasoning you have for being there, you don’t have to approach the casket if you don’t want to or don’t feel comfortable doing so. There are no rules written up that say you have to approach the casket, even if you go to the visitation.

Talking To The Family Is Best

Another reason many people go to the visitation is to visit with the family members who have lost their loved one. Talking to them at the funeral can be hard since they are emotional and are often busy with others. The visitation, being a longer time span, spread guests out and it’s easier to get a word or two in to the family so you can let them know you are thinking of them. They will appreciate seeing you and hearing a few words from you at the funeral home in Lakewood, WA during the visitation service. If you have other questions about attending, contact the professionals at Weeks’ Dryer Mortuary.