Learning to Cope With Death

General Causes of Death  Disease: development of terminal illness Coronary Heart Disease Cancer (Malignant Neoplasm) Stroke/Cerebro-Vascular AIDS  Trauma: specific injury to body tissue Auto Accidents Homicide (Murder) Suicide Accidents  Old Age: natural decline of the body Cellular Deterioration Brain Dysfunction

Leading Causes of Death Teens & Young Adults (15-24) 1.Unintentional Injury ○ DUI Auto Accidents (72.9%) ○ Poisoning/Drug Overdose (10.9%) 2.Homicide ○ Firearms (82.7%) ○ Cutting/Piercing/Stabbing (8.1%) 3.Suicide ○ Firearms (52.1%) ○ Suffocation (31.9%) ○ Overdose (5.9%)

Dealing With Death & Dying  Grief: the feelings of sorrow that follow the loss of something or the death of a loved one  Grief Reaction: the individual persons response to a major loss or death of a loved one  Mourning: the process of dealing with grief  Delayed Grief Response: the reaction to grief is delayed and often becomes intense after the shock is gone  Eulogy: a speech that praises someone who has died  Closure: the end of the most intense part of the grieving process and accepting the persons death  Bereavement: the period of time in which we are grieving the death of a loved one, and there is no specific or designated time line for people to grieve. The most effective grieving will depend on how efficiently one can go through the five stages; ○ Denial ○ Anger ○ Bargaining ○ Depression ○ Acceptance

Stages of Death Acceptance  DENIAL: No, Not Me! It Must Be a Mistake; This Can’t Be Happening!  ANGER: enraged at the injustice of death  BARGAINING: attempts to play “let’s make a deal” and extend or postpone death  DEPRESSION: deep sense of sadness Reactive Depression: loss of health, cost of illness Preparatory Depression: loss of life and loved one  ACCEPTANCE: comes to terms with the loss of the deceased; accept the finality of death

Who to Contact for HELP!  School Counselor  School Psychologist  School Social Worker  School Administrator  Parent or Family Member  Suicide Crisis Hotline  Mental Health Professional

Children’s Understanding of Death  Ages 0-2:NO concept of what death is  Ages 3-5:Death perceived as sleeping  Ages 6-9:Death is a personification of what the media portrays; TV, Movies, Computer Games, often create false imagery of what death really is * Most people start to understand the finality of death around the age of 10, but misinformation often causes confusion for some people well into their teens  Ages 10-12:Death can be misunderstood, and often viewed as being immortal  Teens & Up:Death is usually recognized as being final and an inevitable part of life

Tips to Healing Ones Grief  There is NO specific way to handle grief  Anxiety, Anger, Fear, Depression and Guilt are ALL normal emotions experienced with grief, and death  There is NO set timetable to grieve  Talk to friends, family, counselors, or therapists to help facilitate ones grief  Reinvest in other relationships

Dysfunctional Grieving  Illusions that the deceased is still alive  Chronic fatigue, and physical exhaustion  Intense, aggressive emotional outbursts  Severe depression, feelings of loneliness  Separation anxiety, fear of being without  Self-destructive aggressive behavior  Blaming self or others for death

Natural Dying Process  Clinical Death: 0-4 minutes heart and lungs stop functioning; initiating the dying process  Brain Death: 4-6 minutes brain stops functioning when deprived of oxygenated blood  Biological Death: 6-9 minutes major organs; liver, kidney stop functioning  Cellular Death: 9-12 minutes all remaining body tissue stops functioning Rigor Mortis: hours after death chemical reactions occur causing the stiffening of the body (Stiffs are a slang term for dead people)

Dealing With Death & Dying  Wake-Visitation: the designated time in which we pay respects to family members, and have the opportunity to see the deceased for the last time  Memorial Service: service that pays tribute to the deceased individual  Funeral-Burial: ceremony for placing the deceased in their final place of interment Tradition Culture Religion Cost

Common Forms of Burial  In-Ground/Cemetery: casketed or cremated remains are buried in the cemetery plot  Above-Ground/Mausoleum: casketed or cremated remains are entombed in a crypt or space in the wall in a mausoleum  Cremation: cremated remains can be put in a cemetery, mausoleum, spread some place memorable, or kept by the family  Cryogenics: freezing the body in liquid nitrogen and placing the body in cold storage  Donate Body to Medical Science:

Deceased Preparation Procedures  Embalming: the process of removing the body fluids, and replacing the with a formaldehyde based preservative solution. This is done to help disinfect and delay the body’s decomposition  Restoration: the process of using make up, facial putty, and morticians wax to restore and reconstruct the body’s physical features. washing, hair styling, and dressing of the deceased are done

Death with Dignity & Right to Die:  Euthanasia:ending life of the terminally ill to spare any further suffering  Passive Euthanasia: (Legal in ALL States) providing care and pain relieving medication to the terminally ill, but allowing them to die ○ Hospice Care: (Hospice Facility or In Home Care) provides medical care for terminally ill, but does not make any effort to delay death or prolong life  Active Euthanasia: (Physician Assisted Suicide)  (ONLY Legal in OR, VT, WA, CA & MT-via court ruling) physicians take direct actions to end the terminally ill persons life, must be a resident, 18 y/o, 6 months until expected death

Advanced Directives:  Will: document that disburses the deceased individuals personal assets  Living Will:document that declares specific requests to be allowed to die and not kept alive by artificial means  DNR Order:Do Not Resuscitate medical order that is issued to terminally ill patients who have a living will  Power of Attorney: legal document that transfers all decision making of you to someone else

Assignment  Research and describe 6 different ways to express condolences  Choose 1 of the following: Write an obituary (pet, imaginary relative or already deceased person) Write a sympathy letter to someone who has experienced a loss