In l life, every person experiences a significant event that affects their well being in a negative way. Examples of such events include bereavement, depression, loss of a job, and traumatic experiences among others (Dyregrov & Dyregrov 2008). In such cases, individuals find it difficult to deal with the events on their own. They usually need external sources of support such as family, friends, and support groups. In severe cases, some individuals seek professional help in situations such as bereavement and depression.
One of the most affected sources of support for individuals affected by significant life events is professional help. Occurrences such as bereavement and traumatic experiences cause a lot of grief and anguish in victims and affect their daily lives. They elicit feelings of guilt, helplessness, hopelessness and worthlessness. These events affect victims severely if they go on for long periods without seeking help. Counsellors, commissioners, psychiatrists, and psychotherapists are well trained to help people undergoing painful situations heal and regain their health and vitality (Dyregrov & Dyregrov 2008). The type of help sought by individuals depends on their needs and the impact they have on their lives. Certain needs do not require the intervention of professionals. External support takes spiritual, cultural, religious, and physical forms (Gittreman & Germain 2013). External support should cater for the physical, emotional, physical, spiritual, and psychological needs of people in pain. Psychological support is very effective because it offers emotional healing as well as empowerment through activities such as cognitive behaviour therapy, medication, and social skills training among others (Wilson 2013).
Another source of external support is support groups. People suffering from depression and other health conditions reap a lot of benefits from joining support groups. These support groups usually comprise people with similar problems who meet regularly to share their experiences and how they overcame them. Support groups offer empathy and compassion to individuals who are suffering (Dyregrov & Dyregrov 2008). One of the advantages of these groups is that they help suffering individuals realize that they are not the only ones dealing with pain and that with time, the pain will clear away and life will normalise. In most cases, support groups are recommended by professionals after people undergo treatment and recover (Gittreman & Germain 2013). Specialists who work in the health care and social care sectors are very helpful because they offer services such as counselling, aromatherapy, and advice regarding various issues. External support is offered in various forms that include organisational responses, recommendations, and personal experiences. Personal experiences are used to help people become self-aware of their situations by identifying similar experiences in other people’s lives (Wilson 2013).
Social support helps individuals undergoing painful life events to cope with stress and improve their wellbeing (Gittreman & Germain 2013). In extreme cases where external support is unavailable, affected people experience deterioration of their physical health as well as mental health. External support creates feelings of being valued, loved, and cared for (Wilson 2013). Creating these feelings in people is an important psychological factor that is important in alleviating pain and suffering. Moreover, it helps them forget the pain and suffering and instead focus on the positive things happening in their lives. External support is especially necessary for children who lose their parents or people who lose their spouses. For adolescents, family and peer support is very important. Adequate support from parents helps adolescents deal with pain and avoid the likelihood of becoming depressed (Wilson 2013).
References
Dyregrov, A & Dyregrov, K 2008, Effective Grief and Bereavement Support: The Role of Family, Colleagues, Schools, and Support Professionals, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, New York.
Gittreman, A & Germain, C 2013, The Life Model of Social Work Practice: Advances in Theory and Practice, Columbia University Press, New York.
Wilson, J 2013, Supporting People through Loss and Grief: An Introduction for Counsellors and Other Caring Practitioners, Jessica Kennedy Publishers, New York.