For some people, the loss of a loved one may be debilitating as there are no improvements seen as the days pass by. This is a disorder called persistent complex bereavement disorder or complicated grief disorder. In this disorder, the painful feelings are severe and enduring that the person experiencing as such will have difficulty tolerating the loss and cannot visualize his or her life without the deceased ones.
In this article we will learn about the diet for persistent complex bereavement disorder or complicated grief disorder, prevention tips, how to help someone you know who is going through persistent complex bereavement disorder or complicated grief disorder.
Diet for Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder or Complicated Grief Disorder
Diet plays an important role when a person is suffering from persistent complex bereavement disorder or complicated grief disorder. Taking proper care of yourself and eating proper diet can help you in faster recovery from persistent complex bereavement disorder or complicated grief disorder:
- Eat foods which are high in nutrients. The nutrients found in foods repairs your body, promote growth, and achieve wellness. Nutrients you need include minerals, vitamins, protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Any deficiency may cause illness since your body does not work efficiently.
- Consuming essential antioxidants is a good diet tip. The free radicals (which are the damaging molecules) are formed in our bodies through our normal body functions. These free radicals will contribute to aging, dysfunction, and cell damage. Antioxidants like the vitamins C, vitamins E, and beta-carotene combat the free radicals’ effects. Antioxidants have been proven to tie up with these free radicals. They are also seen to remove their destructive powers. According to the studies, the brain is at danger for free radical damage. Even though the free radicals cannot be stopped completely, here are still ways to reduce their destructive effects by having antioxidants rich foods. These foods are broccoli, apricots, cantaloupe, collards, carrots, peaches, spinach, pumpkin, blueberries, broccoli, sweet potato, grapefruit, oranges, kiwi, peppers, strawberries, potatoes, tomato, nuts, margarine, seeds, wheat germ, and vegetable oils.
- Plan your diet for persistent complex bereavement disorder or complicated grief disorder. Try to limit your sugary foods and choose for complex or smart carbs rather than regular carbs like in the cookies or cakes. You can have whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables that supply healthy fiber and carbs.
- The connection between the mood and the carbohydrates is connected to the mood-boosting serotonin. If you are craving for carbohydrates, it is related to the reduction of the serotonin activity, even though experts are not certain about any association between them.
- Get a substantial Amount of Vitamin D for proper recovery from persistent complex bereavement disorder or complicated grief disorder. According to a national study conducted in 2010, the chances of getting depressed are greater in people who are vitamin D deficient compared to those who have enough vitamin D.
- Omega-3 fatty acids give countless health benefits. Doctors recently revealed that a shortage in omega-3 fatty acids linked with persistent complex bereavement disorder or complicated grief disorder and depression.
Preventive Tips for Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder or Complicated Grief Disorder
While the preventive methods for persistent complex bereavement disorder or complicated grief disorder are unknown, the prevention is still unclear. Getting psychotherapy or counseling right after a loss can help you a lot, especially for people who are at risk of developing the disease. In addition, the caregivers that provide the ultimate care may benefit from support and counseling to face death and its consequences.
- Counseling. You can explore emotions through early counseling for persistent complex bereavement disorder or complicated grief disorder. This prevents beliefs and negative thoughts from gaining a strong hold that they are difficult to overcome.
- Talking about the deceased person can help the people with persistent complex bereavement disorder or complicated grief disorder. Discussing your grief and letting yourself cry can prevent you from sticking in your disappointment. This will prevent your pain to aggravate and begin to comfort as long as you experience it.
- Support Groups can aid the victims and prevent the intensity of persistent complex bereavement disorder or complicated grief disorder. Family members, relatives, friends, social support groups and group therapy are all the best options. You should also find a group that focused solely on a particular loss, such as the death of a child or a spouse.
Help Someone with Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder or Complicated Grief Disorder
Helping someone to move on from a disorder like persistent complex bereavement disorder or complicated grief disorder is one of the greatest things you can do. If you know someone who has been grieving for a long time, you are more likely to search for the answers to help him or her move on in life.
Often, people do not want to open the topic to the death of the person, but it is important for the bereaved to hear as and acknowledge that there is death, and his or her dear one is already dead. In other words, it is not disastrous to talk about.
While forcing someone to speak about death should never be done, it is vital to let the bereaved person know that he or she can express about their loss. Talk nicely about the deceased person and do not turn away from the topic if the dear ones name popped up. As you start discussing the topic, you can ask sensitive questions. This invites the sufferer to express their feelings in an open manner. Try to ask a question such as, “Would you like to talk?”
- You should be willing sit in silence in order to help someone with PCBD. If the person does not want to talk, do not force him or her. Instead, offer your support and comfort with your unspoken presence. If you cannot think to say, make sure something offer eye to eye contact, a reassuring hug, or squeeze the hand.
- Acknowledge and accept all the feelings in order to help them. Allow the grieving person to know that it is fine to get angry, break down in front of you. Allow the bereaved person to have a liberty of expressing oneself and do not reason over how they should do and feel. The bereaved must be able to express without the fear of argument, criticism, or judgment.
- Let the bereaved discuss about how the person died. A grieving person should tell the story all over again, and it is your duty to be patient. This may sound like a redundant move but repeating is the only thing to accept the death as it lessens the pain.
- Offer reassurance and comfort without lessening the loss. It is importance to tell the grieving person that it is okay to cry and breakdown. If you experienced similar circumstance, share it if you think it might help a lot. If you have nothing to share, you can always find a story offline or online about other people’s experiences and how they moved on. However, do not give unsolicited sayings, claiming to “know-all” what the person is feeling. Do not also compare the grief of other people to his or her experience because every experience has a unique story.
Proactively initiating activities can help the victim of persistent complex bereavement disorder or complicated grief disorder in many ways. There are a lot of practical ways to help someone move on from persistent complex bereavement disorder or complicated grief disorder. You can:
- Run errands or go shopping to help them.
- Help them prepare food.
- Assist with the funeral arrangements.
- Staying in their home to help phone calls and talk to the guests.
- Provide your assistance to fill out insurance forms.
- Do the household chores, such as washing, cleaning or laundry.
- Help them by driving them to any places wherever and whenever.
- Watch or monitor their children.
- Take care of their pets.
- Accompany them to a meeting or just a simple walking activity.
- Take them to a movie or lunch.
- Share a pleasurable activity (puzzle, game, art project etc…)
Lastly, encourage the grieving person to use the services of medical professionals.
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