Grief Complicated by Guilt

Posted by dknapp on Apr 2, 2014 in Blog, Comfort, Grief Relief

Guilt can complicate the grieving process and even extend it.

At the end of the concert I noticed the gentleman sitting beside me had a sweatshirt on indicating he was from the same state I grew up in.  So I asked him what part he was from.  As it turned out he was living not more than 30 minutes from where I grew up.

Early in the conversation he made it known that his daughter had died.  He and his wife had consequently moved to their present home to be near her grave.  I later learned that this all had happened over 5 years earlier.  As I listened he unfolded his pain.  A week before the daughter’s fatal car wreck she had been raped and the dad felt he could have done something to prevent it.  Now his guilt was keeping the grieving process very much alive.  I encouraged him to find someone he could talk it through with.  He assured me a local pastor was available.

Listening well to the grieving can often aid in your ability to help them heal by watching for other issues that could be enhancing their grief.

Pressing on,

David Knapp