Here we'll explore the biological process of death and also clear up some basic questions about the science of it all. Find out how the mind reacts to death and how people try to cope with it. Death is treated very differently all around the world. Here we'll discuss the various religious and cultural differences. Discover the social implications of death and how death affects society. Discuss death related topics with other surfers.

Psychology How to Cope: Losing Another -talking -grief counselor, church leader, friend -regrets -share memories -start a memory book for yourself and others -don't be afraid to ask for help -anger -take time out (just as the dying can't think about death all the time, so true for the living) Losing someone you care about is just plain tough. It's emotionally draining, mentally taxing, and overall very frustrating. The worst part, though, is the big hole you feel deep inside of you. How do you deal with it? Talk to someone. They don't have to be especially insightful. Sometimes you never know what you really think and feel until you start talking and it just comes out of your own mouth. You can easily find some things you never knew or thought about before. Express to them exactly how you feel. Then talk about what's making you feel it. Who knows, they might just say something good too. Someone who isn't sharing in your same feelings of loss is usually the best person to talk to-- they can usually be a better listener. A grief counselor, though they seem only for people who are really severely traumatized, are actually there to talk to anyone. A church leader is another person who would be very happy to talk for a while-- they're never to busy to be fellow human beings. Then there are friends, who probably understand what you're going through more than anyone. No matter what your relationship with a friend is, even if you normally just joke around and never discuss anything serious, they will be more than ready to be there for you. You'd be suprised and how emotionally aware seemingly "non-emotional" people can be. When dealing with a loss, there's always some regret: what you didn't get to say, what you didn't get to do. First, know that there's now way to do everything with everyone. Grieving isn't a time when reason is much comfort, true, but keep that in mind. We don't have an infinite amount of time in which to do things. Second, know that those things that were left unsaid and undone are memories too. Wishes, hopes and dreams are often better than the real thing. The old saying, after all, follows that "having is often not as pleasing as wanting." Cherish those hopes that weren't done, and think about how great a memory they really are. As Elisabeth Kubler-Ross said, "An understanding neighbor who does not come to 'hear the latest' but who comes to relieve... can be greatly appreciated." Don't be hesitant to ask for help. People are very understanding, more than you can often realize. If you're overburdened or stressed, just ask. Sadness and grief can be both accompanied by and closely related to something that is hard to swallow, but which comes into play more often than not. That thing is anger. The first reaction to such a suggestion is one of immediate disbelief. After all how can someone be mad at someone they love so much. But again, Kubler-Ross points out that "the dying patient's problems come to an end, but the family's problems go on." Resentment and anger can often come up, and they cause some rather confusing emotions, because they are things which you'd never dream of considering at a time of loss. They're there from the simply fact that someone you care about has left you. Just remember that it is not immoral and wrong to feel like that, but normal and acceptable. It's a sign that you're human, and that's okay. Lastly, take time out for yourself. Hospice workers know that dying people themselves can't think about their death for every waking moment. Neither can someone who's close to someone who has died. It's hard to think of anything else, but your mind will force you to forget about it in ways you might not like, such as getting mad at someone else, if you don't do it consciously. You're not abandoning their memory, but preserving it in your own mind by keeping yourself mentally healthy. Go out and do something you enjoy doing, and don't feel guilty about it. Copyright 2001. Created by a Thinkquest team. Feel free to email us at C0122781@thinkquest.org.