Getting Help

Help sometimes feels like it is nowhere to be found. This is especially true if you live somewhere away from a large town.

First step is to check your phone book for Grief Counselors. Some towns have support meetings. If you are having problems finding local support contact a local funeral home. They should have a list of local support groups and professionals.

Being in the age of the internet there are a lot of online support groups. Every social network site such as Facebook, MySpace, LiveJournal, and Yahoo Groups have support groups of various types. There are many general groups out there and also many specialized for families dealing with pregnancy loss, SIDS, medical related, and accident related. The general groups may prove to be very helpful but also look into the specialized groups. Every type of death is different and sometimes it is more comforting to contact with parents dealing with exactly what you went through.

You may get to a point where you feel antidepressants would be helpful. Some people may say to not take them because they become a crutch yet others feel they are very helpful in dealing with the depression, anxiety, and nightmares often associated with child loss. Talk to your doctor about options you have. Understand that not all antidepressants work the same. One that works for one person may not work for you. Expect that you may switch around prescriptions the first few months to find a drug that works best for you. An antidepressant usually takes 3-8 weeks for the full effects so do not stop taking them after 2 weeks. There are many websites such as WebMD that has lists of various medication and their effects and side effects. Take a look at them and try to narrow down a couple that you think would be best for you and take the list to your doctor and discuss options.