Losing a loved one, friend, or family member can be the hardest thing for a person to go through. It is important not to bottle up your feelings inside you for doing this can lead to more problems in the future. The initial feeling after someone close to the heart dies is shock. After the initial shock passes, the feelings felt by many include:

• Numbness - when first hit with the idea that someone you loved is gone, it is hard for the true feelings to set it.
• Disbelief - many don't believe that the person is actually gone. It takes a while to fully understand that that person is never coming back.
• Pain - in addition to emotional pain, people can be physically hurt by a passing of a loved one. The usual physical effects of this are ones such as nausea, feeling sick to the stomach, loss of appetite, pressure on your chest, and many others which pass as time goes by.
• Guilt - usually is felt by those who had an argument or had bad feelings toward the person shortly before they passed away.
• Anger - this is a normal feeling usually felt when the death has no explanation or if the death was abrupt and one feels like the person was "taken" away from them. 
• Relief - usually felt when the person has undergone a great deal of suffering.

These feelings are not easy to deal with. Just when you think you have them under control, a funeral can stir them all up again. Funerals are all different. They can be held in a church, a hall, they can involve a ceremony, a cremation, or a burial. Whatever way is decided upon, it gives an opportunity for everyone to say goodbye. After the funeral is over, often people hold a gathering where they 'celebrate' the life of the person who just passed away by focusing on the happy and memorable aspects of the person's life. This gathering can greatly help with the healing process.

You do not need to hold a funeral or attend one if you don't wish to do so. It is completely up to you. A good idea is to talk to your family and friends because they can help you out with what you are going through. Some of them could have also attended a funeral in the past and can tell you about it, making your fears frightening. 

It is important to talk to your friends and family during the grieving process. Because this process can take a long time, you need all the support you can get. It will make the weeks or months after the funeral less distressing for you. There are different ways of talking to others about your feelings. For some, it helps to talk about the person and the impact they had in your life. Others try to occupy their time with other things such as hobbies. It is your decision how you want to deal with the pain, however having someone near you helps in unimaginable ways.

If you find concentrating hard at work or at school, talk to your boss or teacher. Explain the situation and they will help you in any way they can. If the feelings get worse, it might be a good idea to talk to a counselor. 

If you do not have anyone to talk to, there are many support lines, help centers, and other resources available to you. Phone your local city hall or just the operator on your phone, and they'll be happy to refer you to one of the programs they have for the public.