Coping with Grief During Holiday Season

If you or someone you know is facing the first holiday season without a loved one such as a spouse or lifelong friend, it may be a challenge to handle reminders of the holidays, including family traditions, shopping, events or decorating. Some may feel depressed and wish the holidays would pass by as quickly as possible. The important thing to realize is that no matter how long you've been grieving for a loved one--a short time or many years--for most people, the holidays typically bring grief back to the surface. And with grief questions surface:

• Should I act like everything is okay so the rest of the family can enjoy the holidays?
• Is it all right for me to skip traditions if they seem too hard to handle?
• Should I make major changes to my typical holiday rituals?

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