MYTH: The pain will go away faster if you 

ignore it.

Fact: Trying to ignore your pain or keep it from

surfacing will only make it worse in the long run. For

real healing it is necessary to face your grief and 

actively deal with it. You may feel that the only way 

you can cope is to ignore the pain but this will only 

work for a very short period of time and in the long 

run will only delay you on your journey through grief.

MYTH: It’s important to be “be strong” in the

face of loss.

Fact: Feeling sad, frightened, or lonely is a normal 

reaction to loss. Crying doesn’t mean you are weak. 

You don’t need to “protect” your family or friends by 

putting on a brave front. Showing your true feelings 

can help them and you. It can feel very scary to 

admit your feelings but once you open up to those 

around you it will help all of you.

MYTH: If you don’t cry, it means you aren’t 

sorry about the loss.

Fact: Crying is a normal response to sadness, but 

it’s not the only one. Those who don’t cry may feel 

the pain just as deeply as others. They may simply 

have other ways of showing it. Some people find it 

hard to cry as they see it as a sign of weakness, 

others have also said that they are afraid to let the 

tears start because they don't think they will be able 

to stop them.

MYTH: Grief should last about a year.

Fact: There is no right or wrong time frame for 

grieving. How long it takes can differ from person to 

person. Don't let anyone ever tell you that there is a 

time limit on grief. Everyone is an individual and 

deals with their grief in their own way. Some will 

find it easier to express their grief and ask for 

help/support. Others will hold it inside for longer and 

don't want to burden others. Grief takes as long as 

is needed by each individual.