Bereavement Support
Bereavement Support
Grief after bereavement or loss
Most people experience grief when they lose something or someone important to them. If these feelings are affecting your life, there are things you can try that may help.
Support is also available if you're finding it hard to cope with stress, anxiety or depression. If you're not sure how you feel, try our mood self-assessment.
Symptoms of bereavement, grief and loss
Bereavement, grief and loss can cause many different symptoms and they affect people in different ways. There's no right or wrong way to feel. As well as bereavement, there are other types of loss such as the end of a relationship or losing a job or home.
Some of the most common symptoms include:
- shock and numbness – this is usually the first reaction to loss, and people often talk about "being in a daze"
- overwhelming sadness, with lots of crying
- tiredness or exhaustion
- anger – towards the person you've lost or the reason for your loss
- guilt – for example, guilt about feeling angry, about something you said or did not say, or not being able to stop your loved one dying
For support in you area see links below:
Wiltshire Treehouse offers advice and creative programmes that support the social and emotional well-being of bereaved children and young people. We offer a relaxed, safe and inclusive environment in which people can explore and grow to understand their grief. At Wiltshire Treehouse children can meet others, share stories, make a connection and help each other.
Tree House Wiltshire - Bereavement support for children and young people in Swindon and Wiltshire
Bereavement support | Live Well in Bath & North East Somerset (bathnes.gov.uk)
Get support - Cruse Bereavement Support
Bereavement support organisations across the UK (ataloss.org)
Very Brief Intervention
Ask
Assist
Act
For support in you area see links below:
Wiltshire Treehouse offers advice and creative programmes that support the social and emotional well-being of bereaved children and young people. We offer a relaxed, safe and inclusive environment in which people can explore and grow to understand their grief. At Wiltshire Treehouse children can meet others, share stories, make a connection and help each other.
Tree House Wiltshire - Bereavement support for children and young people in Swindon and Wiltshire
Bereavement support | Live Well in Bath & North East Somerset (bathnes.gov.uk)
Get support - Cruse Bereavement Support
Bereavement support organisations across the UK (ataloss.org)
Local Support and Contact Details
Bereavement Support
The death of someone close can be a devastating experience and can bring about stronger emotions than most people expect. Each bereavement is unique and our grieving, our reactions and our needs are also unique.
Initially you may have feelings of numbness, anxiety, confusion and/or disbelief. You may also experience a loss of appetite or sleep disturbance. Crying is a natural reaction to bereavement and is not a sign that you cannot cope, some people feel unable to cry and wish to simply get on. Problems can arise when people expect you to react in the same way as them, but it's important to remember that people respond to bereavement in different ways.
There are many organisations that offer advice and support to people going through a bereavement:
Bereavement support in Wiltshire | Your care Your support Wiltshire
Bereavement Advice Centre
Provides support and advice to people on what they need to do after a death. It has lots of practical support and information around topics like registering a death, probate and legal issues.
Telephone: 0800 634 9494
Website: bereavementadvice.org
Bereavement Support Network
Helps families, carers and friends find services and information following a loss.
Website: bereavementsupport.co.uk
Carer Support Wiltshire
Offers support for carers across Wiltshire and can offer support and advice even after your caring role changes.
Telephone: 0800 181 4118
Website: www.carersinwiltshire.co.uk
Cruse Bereavement Care
Support, advice and information for children, young people and adults when someone dies. They offer face-to-face, telephone, email and website support.
Telephone: 0808 808 1677
Website: www.cruse.org.uk
Website designed specifically for children and young people: hopeagain.org.uk
Samaritans
Confidential support for anyone in a crisis: Samaritans will listen to you at any time of day or night. They are not there only for people who are feeling suicidal. They are there for anyone in distress.
Telephone: 116 123
Website: www.samaritans.org
SOBS (Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide)
SOBS help overcome the isolation experienced by people who have been bereaved by suicide.
Telephone: 0300 111 5065
Website: www.uksobs.org
Child Death Helpline
Befriending and emotional support for anyone affected by the death of a child, teenager or young adult.
Telephone: 0800 282 986
Website: www.childdeathhelpline.org.uk
The Compassionate Friends
Provide support for parents following the death of a child at any age.
Telephone: 0345 123 2304
Website: www.tcf.org.uk
There are local support contacts for The Compassionate Friends in Salisbury, Glastonbury, Keynsham and Swindon. Local contacts provide a safe environment for bereaved parents and their families to express themselves in the company of others who understand their grief.
The Good Grief Trust
Help people suffering from grief in the UK.
National bereavement helpline: 0800 4480 800
Sudden bereavement helpline: 0800 2600 400
Website: www.thegoodgrieftrust.org
Hospice Support
There are a number of hospices in Wiltshire who offer bereavement services to families known to them.
Dorothy House Hospice bereavement service
Telephone: 01225 722988
Prospect Wellbeing Centre
Telephone: 01672 512915
Salisbury Hospice Family Support service
Telephone: 01722 425113
Mental Health Support Text Messaging Service
If you live in Wiltshire and need somebody to talk to about your mental health or you are struggling to cope you can text WILTS to 85258 for free and confidential text message support that won't appear on your bill.
Trained volunteers are here to listen and can help with anxiety and stress, depression or sadness, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, panic attacks, loneliness or isolation, abuse and bullying. The volunteers can provide you with tools to help you going forward and can point you in the right direction of other local support that can be accessed.
If your life is at imminent risk, please call 999 for immediate help.