Find help when grieving during the holiday season

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.- Even during the holidays, grief never stops, but there are ways to cope. The loss of someone is difficult and never completely heals, but during the holidays, that grief can be even more apparent.

Licensed and professional counselor Kristy Fuller at Fuller Life Counseling says there is always a sense of sadness around loss.

“Oftentimes during the holidays, because those are times that are nostalgic, and bring up memories for people, it oftentimes can bring back grief a little more intensely,” Fuller says.

To move forward in these painful moments, it is helpful to create new memories and traditions, be around other people, avoid isolation and find ways to be social.

Fuller says it’s important to acknowledge that it is okay not to be okay, “And it’s okay to say to someone, I’m struggling, I’m sad, I’m feeling depressed, I’m missing a loved one, or a friend that I’ve lost,” and talk about those feelings.

One way to address your grief is by talking about it. Programs like Grief Shares Surviving the Holidays is one way to get support when you need it. This program provides encouragement, support, and valuable tools to navigate the season. The facilitator of this program, Cheryl Gant, says it’s nice to have someone supporting you.

Gant says, “When you know someone’s got your back, even someone you can call and talk to, and say look, I’m having a bad day, or anything like that for encouragement. I think that’s the best thing you can do to help people through the holidays.”

Having the power of community in these group sessions and knowing that other people understand what you are going through, helps when you are confronted by grief during the holiday season.

Gant adds, “You are not alone, other people are grieving. Of course, everybody grieves differently, but in a group where everybody is going through the same thing, then maybe they would feel free to share, and that release will help.”

The upcoming Surviving the Holidays Program will take place at Post Oak Baptist Church in Russellville. This program is free of charge and open to the public. The seminars will be held on Saturday, Dec. 2 and Monday, Dec. 4. More information can be found at griefshare.org.