Module 6

Avoidance

It is common for grieving young people to avoid:

• talking about the loss

• reminders of the event surrounding the loss

• looking at photos of their loved one

• visiting a grave or other reminders of the loss

Sometimes grieving young people can avoid socialising because they are worried about how others will react.

You can try an experiment like Jamie did with socialising, but with sharing a little bit with a close friend about your experience of loss.

Sometimes it does not go to plan, people generally do not know what to say about grief and can sometimes say unhelpful things about moving on. But it can also help to find out what happens, even if it’s not quite the response you would like.

Approaching areas you have avoided because of the loss is likely to help you.

We will look at how you can take a step-by-step approach.

Start with easier areas to approach before trying harder ones.

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