How to Handle the Pain of Losing a Pet

As George Eliot’s quote, a famous author, says, “Animals are such agreeable friends—they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms.”

If you fall into the list of people having ‘pets’ as their best friends, you will find losing them an irrecoverable event. The loss of your pet is incredibly painful. Losing your best friend can be difficult to process. The following are some tips to get over the pain and cope up with the trauma effectively.

6 Ways to Cope with Losing a Pet

1. Take the Time to Mourn

When you decide to keep a pet, you are ultimately adding a new member to your family. They walk with you, share your bed, love you in good times, and stand by you in every odd. Hence, when they bid farewell to this world and your world, the mourning may take time. The best way to let it pass by is to accept it. However, losing a pet can be pretty upsetting as pets provide you unconditional love. In such a case, acknowledging the loss is the most crucial step to overcoming grief and essential for your sound well-being

2. Overlook Feeling Guilty

If you are feeling guilty about your pet’s death, accept it. Avoiding this feeling will simply amplify your grief and pain. Understand that it is common, and almost all pet owners have had this, irrespective of the cause of the loss. You feel responsible for their health, food, sleep, everything, and so you put yourself in the wrong for their death, too. Accepting that there was no way out to keep them alive forever can surely help you calm down.

3. Combat Anxiety Naturally

As many people do, you may experience loss of sleep or troubled sleep due to feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and pain of losing your pet. Sometimes, your routine and a hectic lifestyle may not allow you adequate sleep and overcome such grief as well. In this case, you can consult a healthcare professional about various natural remedies like CBD, CBN, melatonin, etc. If you are wondering what is CBN, it's a cannabinoid that comes from the breakdown of THC, and it can help you sleep better. Looking for medical assistance is in no way absurd. You have suffered a loss and want to put your life back on track.

4. Write About Your Trauma

It may seem a bit of insanity to create a journal and write down feelings, but it helps immensely. Psychologically, writing down thoughts or unfiltered feelings, be it of any kind, releases the energy and enables you to feel light in your heart. Also, you can add pictures of happy moments with your pets and keep them like your most prized possession. Additionally, you can write a letter to your pet and express your feelings as if they can hear you like they used to do when alive. Sharing your grief and memories can help process the pain of losing a pet.

Also, other than writing, try to read the latest news, your favorite book, or any Self-Help book to distract your mind at the same time helping yourself move one step ahead in the right direction.

5. Create a Memorial for Your Pet

Pain heals with time. Although some losses have no replacement, you can compensate for the grief by creating a memorial from the cremated remains. You can create a headstone where you can engrave your pet’s name, the life journey, and a quote for its love, care, and significance in your life. Also, you can set aside a special place for your pet’s belongings, like collars, favorite toys, or tags. However, before you build a memorial, plant a tree to have your memories covered under the shade with cool breezes passing by. Visiting the memorial will help you overcome grief by going down memory lane.

6. Volunteer at an Animal Shelter

At first, you might spend your day gauging at other pet owners and feel like keeping yourself away from their sight. Once you volunteer, render your help and support, and care for sick pets, you will find your pain healing at a good pace. However, in the beginning, it might get difficult for you to help at the shelter. You can take your time to see if you can go with it. Helping other pets can be an effective way to relieve the guilt of losing your own.

Remember, there is always a way out if you want and are willing to do so. All of us need time to work through the loss, especially when our emotions are waving like the tides of a stormy sea. At some point, you might feel like having a new pet to fill the gap with the replacement. The other day, you might repent adopting a new one this early. Here, it is always good to let the time pass by, let your heart settle down, and move forward only when your conscience permits you.

Final Thoughts

Losing a pet is always terrible and heart-wrenching. Unfortunately, we can’t control anybody’s life and their departure from our lives. All we can do is make the journey beautiful and memorable like ever.