Funeral Service Thanatology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Funeral Service Thanatology - Research Paper Example †¢ Whether or not the person was expected to die at that point or not, i.e. how much notice the bereaved person had in order to prepare themselves, to say their goodbyes, to make arrangements. The circumstances will also affect this , for example if a person commits suicide or is murdered this is obviously more traumatic than if someone very elderly just fades away peacefully. †¢ Their religious faith or lack of it. This may depends not so much on belief as whether or not they regularly attend a place of worship as to the fact that if they do so they will have a strong social support system in place. †¢ The amount of support available to them. Restricted social support tends to produce more problems, as Clute points out with regard to those who have underdeveloped systems of support. ( Clute, 2007) . The loss of someone close can be devastating. People deal with this in many different ways. Anxiety is a natural response - part of humanity’s ‘fight or flight’ response to difficulties. As described by Worden, the biological response to loss is aggression. (2002, page 9) It is a heightening of senses as described by Mind 2012. This reflex results in high levels of adrenaline being released which causes several physical results – an increase in oxygen levels as the heart rate rises in an attempt to get oxygen where the body feels it is needed in order to flee danger. There is a corresponding reduction in appetite as blood is moved away from the digestive system into the muscles. The person can become twitchy, making nervous movements and refusing even necessary food, perhaps even becoming nauseated. They cannot concentrate or relax, so this physical difference makes an emotional impact. Death, even if it was expected, means a loss of control. This will be particularly profound in someone who already has little control over the situation and its implications upon their future. This is