Overcoming Fear of Funerals
Some people are afraid of funerals. They simply can't find a way to get past that fear to attend funerals, even those of their family members and closest friends, and they miss out on a lot.
Fear of funerals at funeral homes in Penhook, VA is more common than you might think. People from all walks of life, including health care professionals who deal with life and death every day, simply are not able to attend funerals, even of those closest to them. The actual reasons are complex, but the fear is perplexing.
They may show up right at the beginning of the visitation and say, "I'm sorry but I can't stay." Those are the ones that are the bravest. Most just never show up at all. They will apologize afterward and you'll hear the same kinds of explanations. "I drove into the funeral home parking lot, but I just couldn't do it." "I drove to the funeral home, but I couldn't bring myself to drive in and park." "I meant to be there, but I couldn't be."
It can be emotionally overwhelming to think of attending a funeral for anybody. Nobody enjoys attending funerals and everyone has some aversion to it on some level. We wouldn't be human if those weren't our natural reactions to funerals.
They are events that are sorrowful, that have pain, and that have grief. And they are likely to trigger emotions of sadness and grief from our own losses in life. That too is normal, but it can be too much to face for some people.
However, it's important to remember that our attendance at funerals is not about us and how we feel. Instead, it is a way to support, comfort, and encourage other people – those who are currently experiencing the loss of loved ones – and a way to show honor and respect to someone who has died.
There are some things that can help overcome the fear of funerals.
One of these is to talk about your fear with someone you trust. This may relieve some of the stress and apprehension you're experiencing as you gain insights into why you are afraid. Many of our fears originate early in life and they are sometimes the result of actual events that we may be too young to remember clearly and they are sometimes acquired by simply mistakenly connecting dots between things that are not actually related to each other. If you can understand fear, then you can work toward overcoming it.
Another thing that can help overcome the fear of funerals is accepting that it is okay to be sad and to cry at funerals. One of our basic human fears is of losing control of our emotions and appearing vulnerable in front of other people. But crying at a funeral doesn't make us vulnerable. Instead, it makes us more able to show compassion and empathy to people who are grieving their loss. It forms connections that bring us together in a way that few other things in life – such as births and weddings – do. If we can share happiness, then we can share sadness.
A final way to ease the fear of funerals is to attend with a friend or a spouse. Stick by them like glue if you need to, and let them help and support you through the service.
We have many regrets in life that we can't change. Not saying goodbye to someone we love and care about should not be one of them.
If you need help with funerals at funeral homes in Penhook, VA, our compassionate and experienced staff at Conner-Bowman Funeral Home & Crematory can help. You can come by our funeral home at 62 Virginia Market Place Dr., Rocky Mount, VA, 24151 or you can contact us today at (540) 334-5151.
