Jealousy during grief is perfectly normal
When you lose a loved one, feelings of jealously can dominate your thoughts.
Feeling jealous about others having things you are missing is completely normal when you are grieving.
You might feel that your world has been ripped out from underneath you whilst others seem to be happily getting along with their own lives. You might become resentful of others who still have a relationship, whilst you are grieving yours.
These feelings don’t make you a bad person, but it can be hard to say it out loud without feeling judged.
What you can do
Recognise that how you are feeling is normal. Will it ever end? Maybe not, but over time you will learn to live with the feelings of jealousy, without it taking a front seat.
Sharing how you feel with people who get it – saying it aloud won’t fix anything, but it does make your feelings a little easier to carry knowing you are not alone in your thoughts. It is comforting to know that other people understand and can relate to how you feel.
Sometimes opening up to loved ones can feel quite daunting. You don’t want to burden them with your feelings or trigger their own grief. We can also feel worried about them judging us, especially if we feel they have moved on with how they feel about the loss of a shared loved one.
At GriefLine we firmly believe that one of the best forms of bereavement support is talking to others who can understand something of what you are going through. It is so important to be able to share your feelings, however painful or ugly, without being judged or feeling like you are burdening anyone.
Call us, and speak with a trained Bereavement Volunteer who is there to listen and support you when you need it the most.
