Bereavement is something that most of us will experience at some time in our lives and no two people react in the same way.
It’s important to recognise that sometimes a bereaved person may not be able to grieve at the time of their loss. Especially in the early stages after the bereavement, grief may feel like you're going mad. The madness of grief can feel very real and it is normal to
feel numb or nothing at all,
sleep too much or not be able to fall asleep,
see or hear the person who died,
not feel hungry or eat more than usual,
feel on high alert or anxious all the time,
experience anger with everything and everyone,
cry all the time or in unexpected moments...and more.
You might carry on as if nothing happened and get on with organising the funeral and the "admin" that follows a death, like cancelling bills, sorting out the estate, and closing accounts. Some people experience strong emotions from the start but for others it takes some time to get over the initial shock before they can begin to get in touch with their feelings.