Table of contents:
- Why can pet deaths be so sad?
- Tips to make peace with sadness due to the death of a pet
- 1. Recognizing and accepting feelings of loss
- 2. Distract from the loss
- 3. Capture moments with pets
- 4. Consultation with a therapist
- 5. Plan to raise new animals
When you feel lonely or need a friend, a pet can be your best friend. In fact, sometimes pets are just like family members. Indeed, raising animals has health benefits as well as pleasure. Because of this, the death of a pet can be very sad. However, you must still be able to deal with the death of your favorite pet well. How to? Check out the answer here.
Why can pet deaths be so sad?
For many people who have pets, these animals are not just cats or dogs, but part of family members, friends, pleasure bearers and a source of joy in life.
Pets can add color to your daily activities, keep you active, help and accompany you at any time. Therefore, when a beloved pet dies, it is only natural that you feel so lost.
While everyone responds to sadness differently, the level of sadness you experience will depend on factors such as your age and personality, the age of your pet, and the cause of the pet's death.
In general, the more important the pet is to your life, the stronger the pain you will feel.
The role your pet plays in your life can also have an impact on the pain you experience. For example, if you live alone and your pet is your only friend in the house, coming to terms with the death of your pet can be difficult. Especially if you have raised these animals from a young age, of course the sadness will deepen.
However, no matter the circumstances of your loss, remember that grief is personal to you. So you don't have to be ashamed about your feelings, or feel that you don't deserve to be grieving. While pet death is an inevitable part of owning a pet, there are a number of healthy ways to deal with pain, come to terms with sadness, and when the time is right, maybe you can open your heart to having a new pet.
Tips to make peace with sadness due to the death of a pet
Sadness can take many forms. Some people will cry more and some may need some time alone. Sadness can also turn into anger secretly. Even so, you should still face the death of your pet calmly and not need to drag on.
Here are some steps for dealing with pet death that might help you.
1. Recognizing and accepting feelings of loss
This step is important so that you can come to terms with the sadness itself. Be honest with yourself how painful losing a pet can be. The reason is that some people try to cover up their loss by thinking that because those who died were "only" animals, there should be no need to be sad.
Thinking like this can actually make you worse off, because deep down, your pet has a special place in your life.
2. Distract from the loss
Take your attention away from the memory of your pet's death by staying busy and doing your usual daily activities. This way the sadness won't drag on, and over time you can get used to the fact that your pet is gone.
3. Capture moments with pets
You can write things about your pet in stories or poetry, draw pictures, or write songs. Or plan your pet's funeral. Some people choose to make donations in pet memories to animal shelters or even volunteer there. All of these ideas can help you retain good and happy memories.
4. Consultation with a therapist
If your pet was having other serious problems at the time of death, the grief can be overwhelming. Suppose you lost a pet when you were dealing with a parental divorce case. Therefore, it never hurts to consult a therapist or psychologist to help you control the emotional turmoil that arises.
5. Plan to raise new animals
You will never forget your pet. However, over time that feeling of sadness will subside. When the time is right, you may be able to plan to raise a new animal.
