Factors associated with death and dying determine how you and / or your family and friends cope with death?

Losing a person close to my family and I is a process that involves varied emotions and behaviors. People respond differently to grieving but some traditions in my family might influence how we do it. The men mostly do not cry but they stay quiet while some exhibit signs of numbness, depression, and anxiety. Believe it is significantly harder for this group because they are traditionally not expected to cry and so letting these emotions remain and chock them for a long time. Coping thus becomes hard for male members of my family. People do not sleep much during a grieving period. We understand that some may lose the energy to do things that are enjoyable or just follow a basic routine and so everybody joins in staying awake with them and avoid loneliness. Coping is mostly dependent on how close the deceased was to an individual. The nature, intensity, and the duration it takes for one to accept that a loved one has gone depends on the relationship. Also, whether the person died instantly or after a long illness affects how we grieve as a family although subconsciously.

What helps the healing process?

Turning to friends and family is very important for grieving and significantly helps the grieving process. The pain of grief usually causes limited socialization but support from close people is very essential for the healing process. A person that is not comfortable talking about their feelings in normal circumstances should express himself or herself during grief. One can also draw comfort from religion and take advantage of the comfort that comes from the mourning rituals. One can also engage in spiritual activities they find meaningful such as meditating, praying, or going to the worship center to seek solace. Joining a support group is also another way one can deal with grief. Even with loved ones around, grief can make someone feel lonely, so having the opportunity to share one’s experience with people who have gone through the same is very helpful. So joining a support group should help one significantly through the healing process. Taking to a grief counselor or a therapist is important because they take one through intense emotions and overcome the obstacles to grieving.

Advice on how to help someone cope with the loss of a loved one or death in general?

The advice I would give to a grieving person is to face their feelings. Suppressing the feelings does not mean they will go away, and in order to heal one has to acknowledge the pain. The grieving process is prolonged by pushing down the feelings of sadness and if the grief goes unresolved, the result is depression, anxiety, health complications, and substance abuse. The other advice would be expressing emotions physically such as writing down on a journal or writing a letter to the loved on containing all the things one wished they said when the person was alive. Grieving can cause one to lose themselves and thus trying to maintain usual activities such as hobbies and interests is very important. These routines give comfort and bring joy and allow the bereaved to interact with others which can help people come into terms with the loss.

Evaluating the controversy of the Right to Die with Dignity

The advantage of laws that support the right to die with dignity is that it gives transparency to the process. They also define the obligations of each party involved in the decision. The person giving consent for a dignified death must consider the people that are affected. Their right to die is confined by their obligation to family, friends, and their physician. Besides, it is not the physician’s duty to kill the person and should not be forced to do so. The cons of having these policies include the ethical question of the right to take one’s life. These laws have seen these practices conducted in secret without adequate oversight, which does not guarantee the right to die in a good way.