Hiding Your Feelings After The Loss Of A Pet

Many people that are experiencing the loss of a pet do not know how to express their emotions, and they feel like they are not entitled to feel as strongly as they do about an animal. Every person is different and will experience grief differently, but it is not healthy to bottle your emotions up or hide them because you will never be able to really address why you are feeling that way. Dealing with the loss of a pet is much like dealing with the loss of a human friend or relative so your grief may be intense for a period of time.

Society often teaches people to look strong even if they don’t feel strong, but sometimes, not dealing with the grief the way that you need to can make losing a pet even more difficult. The loss of a pet means something different to everyone, and you may feel a range of different emotions depending on how close you were to the pet and how long you had the pet. Many people feel a deep attachment to an animal that they live with because that animal is with them everyday. They care for and nurture that animal, and eventually grow to love them and respect them for their own unique personality traits. Another reason that people often get attached to animals is because they offer unconditional love, and that can be hard to find in other relationships.

Animals are a source of comfort and peace, and when the loss of a pet stems from a medical condition or an uncontrollable circumstance, many people begin to feel helpless and alone in their pain. It is very normal and natural to experience sadness, guilt, and even depression when you lose a pet, and it is usually very helpful if you can open up and talk to those around you about how you are feeling. It may seem simple, but sharing your grief can be extremely powerful in your healing. Sometimes when you let other people in, you can learn about how they have dealt with this type of situation before in the past.

If you are grieving the loss of a pet, then you should reach out to the people around you. If they seem like they do not understand, there are many people that you can find that are also experiencing a loss of pet. You can post on forums or discussion boards, talk with a pet loss counselor over the phone, or join a support group so that you can really begin the healing process.

By: Renee Wood, MSW

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Renee Wood founded The Comfort Company in 2000. She is a social worker that has helped families deal with the loss or pending loss of a child, as well as aiding patients in the end-stage of renal failure. The gifts provided by The Comfort Company offer Pet sympathy gifts as well as hope for healing hearts.