Oct 16, 2023 Reporting from Niles, MI
Oct 16, 2023
Oct 16, 2023
Grief triggers during Halloween
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
Grief triggers during Halloween
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
https://www.spectrumhealthlakeland.org/ResourcePackages/SpectrumHealth/assets/img/sh_white_logo.png
The fall season brings football, cooler temperatures and pumpkin spice lattes, along with pumpkin carving contests, costume parties, trick-or-treating, and all the decorations that accompany Halloween. This can be a fun-filled time of joy, amusements and pranks.
However, grief doesn’t stop for any holiday, including Halloween. The death scenes in scary movies and other Halloween festivities can be disheartening or triggering. We know Halloween traditions are just for fun, but some representations such as graveyards, gruesome scenes or death imagery can be challenging for those who are grieving.
For many people, Halloween can be tough for a variety of reasons, whether it is the first year or many years later without their loved one. Children and teenagers are often the largest participants in celebrating Halloween. If you have had a child pass away, it can be difficult to see the holiday catering to children with candy, movies and special events. This can spark deep grief over the loss and experiences that are being missed. It can also create sadness when you have memories around a parent who helped you create Halloween traditions and is no longer there to share those fond memories with you. This can extend to loss of friends, other family members or anyone who loved Halloween.
Ways to cope with grief during Halloween
Please know you don’t have to celebrate Halloween if you are not feeling up to it. You can skip scary movies and watch comfort shows instead. You can buy mums instead of pumpkins. You can decorate or not decorate based on how you are feeling. There are no rules and no expectations other than to give yourself grace and permission to honor how you are feeling. You can take some time off, participate in self-care activities or spend extra time honoring your loved one in your own way.
You may decide you want to celebrate Halloween. One way is to talk and share about your loved one who passed away. Tell Halloween stories from their past: funny memories, costumes or traditions you shared. Look at old photographs, light a candle in their honor or carve a pumpkin for them. Maybe continuing a Halloween tradition is a way to honor your loved one like going to a haunted house they enjoyed, making a specific treat or decorating your home with décor you purchased together.
Does it still feel completely overwhelming and hard? That is okay and normal! No matter how you choose to celebrate Halloween, it is understandable that it can still be incredibly challenging. Finding a support group or a therapist to talk to can be rewarding. Leaning on your support system or finding a friend you can call when you are having a hard day can be helpful. What is most important is honoring your feelings and giving yourself the green light to celebrate in whatever way feels right. This can change from day to day, and that is okay too!
While grief is universal, it is also unique to each individual. Everyone grieves in their own way. While Halloween can bring death to the forefront in the month of October, it can be a chance to listen to yourself and honor your loved one in whatever way feels right for you this year.
You know what else may help you if you’re grieving? Finding a community of people who experienced a similar death. If you’d like to speak with someone from Lory’s Place and consider joining one of our peer support groups, please give us a call at 269.983.2707. We are always here to listen and connect you with other people who are grieving. If you like what you’ve read and would like to see more, you can find us on Facebook and Instagram as well as at lorysplace.org.
Wishing you comfort, peace, and moments of joy,
The Lory’s Place Team
Grief triggers during Halloween
by
Lory's Place
|
Oct 16, 2023
The fall season brings football, cooler temperatures and pumpkin spice lattes, along with pumpkin carving contests, costume parties, trick-or-treating, and all the decorations that accompany Halloween. This can be a fun-filled time of joy, amusements and pranks.
However, grief doesn’t stop for any holiday, including Halloween. The death scenes in scary movies and other Halloween festivities can be disheartening or triggering. We know Halloween traditions are just for fun, but some representations such as graveyards, gruesome scenes or death imagery can be challenging for those who are grieving.
For many people, Halloween can be tough for a variety of reasons, whether it is the first year or many years later without their loved one. Children and teenagers are often the largest participants in celebrating Halloween. If you have had a child pass away, it can be difficult to see the holiday catering to children with candy, movies and special events. This can spark deep grief over the loss and experiences that are being missed. It can also create sadness when you have memories around a parent who helped you create Halloween traditions and is no longer there to share those fond memories with you. This can extend to loss of friends, other family members or anyone who loved Halloween.
Ways to cope with grief during Halloween
Please know you don’t have to celebrate Halloween if you are not feeling up to it. You can skip scary movies and watch comfort shows instead. You can buy mums instead of pumpkins. You can decorate or not decorate based on how you are feeling. There are no rules and no expectations other than to give yourself grace and permission to honor how you are feeling. You can take some time off, participate in self-care activities or spend extra time honoring your loved one in your own way.
You may decide you want to celebrate Halloween. One way is to talk and share about your loved one who passed away. Tell Halloween stories from their past: funny memories, costumes or traditions you shared. Look at old photographs, light a candle in their honor or carve a pumpkin for them. Maybe continuing a Halloween tradition is a way to honor your loved one like going to a haunted house they enjoyed, making a specific treat or decorating your home with décor you purchased together.
Does it still feel completely overwhelming and hard? That is okay and normal! No matter how you choose to celebrate Halloween, it is understandable that it can still be incredibly challenging. Finding a support group or a therapist to talk to can be rewarding. Leaning on your support system or finding a friend you can call when you are having a hard day can be helpful. What is most important is honoring your feelings and giving yourself the green light to celebrate in whatever way feels right. This can change from day to day, and that is okay too!
While grief is universal, it is also unique to each individual. Everyone grieves in their own way. While Halloween can bring death to the forefront in the month of October, it can be a chance to listen to yourself and honor your loved one in whatever way feels right for you this year.
You know what else may help you if you’re grieving? Finding a community of people who experienced a similar death. If you’d like to speak with someone from Lory’s Place and consider joining one of our peer support groups, please give us a call at 269.983.2707. We are always here to listen and connect you with other people who are grieving. If you like what you’ve read and would like to see more, you can find us on Facebook and Instagram as well as at lorysplace.org.
Wishing you comfort, peace, and moments of joy,
The Lory’s Place Team