How Pets Can Help with Grief

After Crystal Falls, MI cremations, grieving often fully sets in, as friends and family return home and to their normal lives. Grief can be compounded by an utter sense of being alone and being disconnected from the rest of the world around us. One of the oddest things that usually occur in post-death grief is the surreal juxtaposition of the person grieving, whose whole world has completely changed, with everything else just going on the same as always. It can be very isolating. 

That's where pets come in to help with the grieving process in several ways.  

One very practical way that pets can help with the grieving process is they lay the groundwork for returning to a normal routine. They need to be fed, watered, and walked on a normal schedule, so those needs inject a sense of normalcy into a time where nothing is normal. Walking pets is physical activity that helps produce the hormone, serotonin, which can give a better overall sense of well-being even in the midst of the grieving process. 

Because pets provide companionship, it can be very comforting to have them around when someone is grieving. Loneliness and isolation can still feel very real in the big scheme of things, but having pets will decrease these feelings on a personal level. 

Research has shown that pets reduce the production of cortisol, the stress hormone, which is common among people who are grieving. The stress is real as the grieving person takes care of all the legal, financial, and other details associated with the loss of a loved one. Stress is also real in adjusting to a new life without the person who has died. But having pets can ease the stress and help make the adjustment period easier. 

The days, weeks, and months after the loss of a loved one can be hard emotionally and mentally. Being around other people can be difficult at times because they might say something unintentionally that is insensitive or even hurts. People don't necessarily mean to be judgmental or critical, but they can be and it can feel like being under siege all the time. Additionally, because emotions run high during the grieving process, crying and sadness can show up at any time, and those times may bring embarrassment or feelings of shame. 

Pets love unconditionally, so they don't care if you cry, sob, or talk to yourself. They are simply there for you and their worlds revolve around you. Pets represent a safe zone during the grieving process because they have no expectations except to love and be loved and they will never be insensitive, judgmental, or critical about anything you do or say. 

Pets also provide comfort to someone who is grieving, because they can help mitigate the grief feelings of emptiness and being lost without a loved one. Pets give a sense of reassurance and comfort that makes the empty spaces and the uncertainties of death easier to face and to deal with. Dogs, in particular, are extremely intuitive about feelings and can sense when their owners are sad or down and respond to that with more affection and care. 

For more information on how pets can help with the grieving process after Crystal Falls, MI cremations, our compassionate and knowledgeable team at Jacobs Funeral Homes & Crematory can assist you. You can see us personally at our funeral home at 909 Crystal Ave., Crystal Falls, MI 49920, or you can contact us today at (906) 875-3072.