If someone close to you has died and they hadn’t accepted your identity or perhaps weren’t aware of your identity, navigating your grief may have added difficulties than if the relationship was in a positive place before they died.
When someone important to you dies, perhaps you notice how others around you are grieving, and at times, you may even compare your grieving process to others. Although this is normal, this may not be helpful. However, recognising your own feelings and acknowledging, “I feel angry things have ended the way they have”, is a valid experience.
Feeling isolated from others in your world who are also grieving the person who has died.
Guilty that there had been no communication before they had died, or if the last contact you had wasn’t pleasant or supportive.
Feeling as though others don’t recognise your grief as being as ‘big’ as theirs, perhaps if you hadn’t seen or spoken with the person for some time.
Judgement from others because there hadn’t been a rekindling of the relationship before they had died/could raise tensions in other relationships.
Angry (this often comes up in conversations with young people who are bereaved) that there had been a complexity in the relationship, which may be a recurring feeling.
Wishing you could have had the option to be more open with your important person about your identity.
A bereaved young person, “Alex”, whose Mum had died 9 years ago spoke about just some of their experiences with grief, Alex identifies as genderqueer/non-binary, if they were to consider a label at all.
Some time before their mum had died, their mum reacted negatively to Alex’s friendship group, where some friends had identified as lesbian. Because of this reaction, Alex felt unable to share their identity with family but also struggled to truly acknowledge themselves in their authentic identity.
Sadly, their mum had died without Alex feeling comfortable to have this conversation. Alex bravely describes feelings of sadness, occasional feelings of lack of acceptance and disappointment, which at times, leads to feelings of guilt. Alongside these experiences, Alex knows that their mum loved and adored them deeply and considers that she would have accepted them no matter what, but lives with the conflict of never having the opportunity to share.
Reflecting on your relationship with your person, the barriers you face(d) and how this influences your grief journey can be a helpful way of growing with your grief.
Below are some possible experiences, feelings, and ways of supporting yourself. You may relate to some, all, or none of them, and that’s okay.
Whether your bereavement happened recently or a long time ago, grief can re-surface when starting a new venture in your life, such as starting a new job. Here are some things to consider if you’re grieving and entering the world of work.
Grief can sometimes feel difficult to talk about, making it hard to make sense of your feelings. Poetry can offer a way to explore those emotions.
When a student dies from your school, it can bring up lots of big feelings, not just for the students who were close to them but also for those who did not know them.
Grief might make special days feel different for you, but does that mean you should not celebrate?
Ways to cope with your grief this summer when you have a lack of routine.
When someone important to you has died, it can be very overwhelming to think about where to start. Who do you need to inform? How do you do it? Where do you get help and advice?
Support, guidance, and ways to manage your grief after the death of your baby or child. This is written specifically for young parents aged 25 or under.
Some tips for taking care of yourself when you're grieving for a celebrity or public figure.
How MrBeast's YouTube video* was about more than just losing 110lbs and what we've taken from it. Written by a Winston’s Wish Bereavement Support Worker.
Understanding your feelings after the death of someone important to you who didn't know or support your authentic identity.
Advice from our bereavement support team about navigating grief with a learning disability.
Four young people from the Winston’s Wish Youth Team have shared their memories of their dads and their tips for others coping with Father’s Day while grieving for their dads.
Ashleigh, Youth Ambassador, shares how she feels about her first Father's Day without her dad and includes some tips for other young bereaved people.
Grief is a really common theme in TV, film, books, and more, so why is it such a taboo subject for some people to talk about?
It can be really hard knowing how to support your partner when they are grieving for someone important who has died. It's completely okay to be unsure of what to say or do. Here are some suggestions of ways you can try to help.
Whilst it never goes away, grief does start to feel different over time. But what can that look or feel like?
One thing we all have in common is life and death. There are lots of different traditions to mark the occasion of a person dying.
Hear from Natasha, Youth Ambassador, about how reading helps her process her bereavement.
Bereavement support tips for those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Tap the live chat button or scroll down to find ways to contact Winston's Wish for further support.
Discover ways to store memories of your parents and express how you're feeling in your grief.
Find ways to cope with grief and its emotions as a teen or young adult without their parents.
Winston's Wish Bereavement Support Workers share top tips for looking after your mental health when you're grieving.
Feeling confused by your grief? You're not alone. Our Bereavement Support Team share some reasons why it can be confusing.
Over winter, with the darker evenings, feelings of loneliness can seem more overwhelming than ever.
Iman, Youth Ambassador, shares how she grieves at Christmas even though she doesn't celebrate the occasion.
Crying is a normal response when your person has died, no matter how long ago. There's no right or wrong way to grieve, and it's okay to let it out.
A guide for grieving young people from the Winston's Wish Bereavement Support Team.
Three of our Youth Ambassadors, Anna, Libby and Angharad, reflect on their first Christmas without their person.
Winter and the Christmas holidays can be a difficult time of year. Here are five ways to remember your person this season.
Winston's Wish Bereavement Support Workers share their 8 top tips for bereaved teens and young adults through the colder months.
Youth Ambassadors share the ways they remember their person digitally, through photo albums, playlists, and more.
Youth Ambassadors, Daisy, Freya, and Katie, share their personal views of their own secondary losses as a result of their bereavement.
Hear from some of the Youth Team about times when their teachers have helped them with their grief.
Our Bereavement Support Team have written some guidance on how to manage grief when you feel like you aren't able to be open.
Lilly shares an introduction to her grief experience and why it's so important to her to be a Winston's Wish Youth Ambassador.
Hear from some of their Youth Team about how they found support at uni.
Angus, Content Creator, says, "This message is about embracing change and not letting current moments pass you by."
Coping strategies to support you after a teacher has died
Tips from our bereavement support team to help you with big life changes like moving out as a young adult.
Useful tips to help you understand and cope with your grief.
Feeling sad that your person isn't there, guilty that you're celebrating your results, or proud of yourself for your results. There's no right or wrong way to grieve.
It can be very difficult knowing what to say and to be around someone who has experienced the death of someone close. Adults find it difficult too, so try not to feel bad about this.
The death of a friend may feel extremely difficult and can feel as significant as that of a family member. Whatever you're feeling is valid, and there is no right or wrong way to grieve.
Jack, Content Creator, writes about how managing his grief through running has led to him winning the Leeds Half Marathon 2024!
Iman, Youth Ambassador, explains about Eid and shares what it's like for her and her family to grieve during Eid.
Miranda shares about how she uses music in different ways to help express her grief and emotions.
Ashleigh writes about how both writing and music have helped her in her grief.
The Winston's Wish bereavement support team share top tips for managing grief this Father's Day.
Grace's dad died from cancer when she was eight years old, she shares how she remembers her dad on Father’s Day.
Feelings of worry are very normal when you're grieving. Read on to discover some ways to manage these feelings.
Useful tips for exam season if you're grieving
Youth Ambassador, Iman, shares about her Eid celebrations as a grieving young person
Content Creator, Angus shares his thoughts
Useful tips for exam season
Interview with Mark O’Sullivan, writer of Tell Me Everything
Tips to help improve your sleep when you're grieving
How poetry can be a useful way to express your feelings
Young people share what it's like to grieve while studying at uni.
Our bereavement experts are available to speak to for immediate support on weekdays from 8am to 8pm.
Get top tips from bereavement experts, and hear from Youth Ambassadors, Henri and Teigan, about their experiences of Mother's Day.
Phoebe's mum died when she was nine. She shares how she feels on Mother’s Day and how she remembers her mum.
