{"id":558,"date":"2024-01-28T13:40:49","date_gmt":"2024-01-28T18:40:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deathandtea\/?p=558"},"modified":"2024-05-01T15:53:54","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T19:53:54","slug":"what-do-i-say-to-the-dying-part-1-friends-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deathandtea\/2024\/01\/what-do-i-say-to-the-dying-part-1-friends-family\/","title":{"rendered":"What Do I Say to The Dying? (Part 1- Friends & Family)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Recently I was asked this question at a recent death cafe. This young professional had found himself at a loss for words at the bedside of his friend who was dying an early death due to a chronic illness. This is actually a very common conundrum for most people but especially men who have been taught that revealing their emotion and being openly vulnerable is not only not masculine or professional. This affects us all because its now often socially unacceptable to acknowledge death is inevitable to the dying.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A 2020 article on Psychology Today by Jade Wu PH.D, she states there are multiple reasons <\/span>why we fear death<\/span><\/a>. These reasons range from our personal physical health, age and religious devotion. I strongly recommend this article as some of the study results are not what you would expect. Our inability to relate to the dying is directly related to how we relate to death ourselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Religious beliefs referred to being raised from the dead in a perfect body at the return of Christ can actually embed the thought that being dead is a less than perfect state. Others believe that if you profess your belief at least once on your deathbed, no matter what your life was like, you will be accepted into the pearly gates. While others don\u2019t even believe in the existence of the soul and that when we die we rot like a log, the end.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There is no irrefutable evidence that can prove a part of us will continue to exist after death. Yet there are near death experiences, past life experiences, paranormal evidence and a long history of metaphysical experiences which support the continued existence of self-awareness; which when viewed as a body of work, has convinced me personally. I have investigated a good number of hauntings and feel completely comfortable stating that disembodied spirits of humans (and entities) are absolutely real and interact with us often.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I have had multiple experiences of being with people as they pass. The practice of working with the dying, like most exposure therapy eases the fear of the unknown realm of the Dead. This too changes a person\u2019s perspective. The only way to help others with death is to choose to wrestle with that shadow yourself. As I\u2019ve stated probably in EVERY article, tomorrow is not promised; therefore, by not preparing yourself for these situations you may loose a valuable opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trigger warning<\/b>: I think one of the biggest fears, is not that of death directly, but that by acknowledging death can be imminent, it may cause a person to lose the will to live. This can be internalized by grieving individuals as having accidentally caused someone\u2019s death and actually they are beating themselves up as having inspired a suicide. Suicide is a whole Pandora\u2019s box which I previously wrote an article on <\/span>The Right to Die<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Death With Dignity<\/span><\/a> (physician assisted suicide) movement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Allow me to state that a person who is having serious health issues is not the same as a person who is actively dying, particularly in elderly patients. The phrase \u201cactive dying\u201d refers to the fact that the doctors have done all they can and death is imminent in hours to weeks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is not the same as a Hospice level diagnosis. Technically one can qualify for Hospice if the doctor\u2019s diagnoses is that death is likely to occur within 6 months. However, I often see in my local area, that by the time someone is given that diagnosis, they are actually only weeks away from death. This can be particularly confusing for me personally because I know they dont want to offer hospice services for people who may go on living for years. Part A of Medicare pays for hospice care at first for six months. After that six months an unlimited number of 60-day periods becomes available, if you are still considered terminally ill. In other words, hospice care is available in increments of 60 days for an indefinite period of time.<\/span><\/p>\n

"Deathbed<\/p>\n

Let us consider several possible scenarios and options of action:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

What if the dying are at home and on hospice? These are really wonderful situations that are the most comfortable. Often the patient has some clarity and is aware. Depending on medication levels, there is a good chance you can have a nearly normal ability to converse, even with the elephant in the room.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What can you do?<\/span><\/p>\n