Father’s Day can be especially difficult for those who don’t have their dad in their life…
If you’ve lost your dad or don’t have contact with him anymore, Father’s Day can be a really upsetting time. There’s no avoiding the shelves filled with cards, the many adverts on the TV, and the rows of Father’s Day gifts in your local supermarket. It’s a painful reminder and it can be difficult to cope with.
Broken Families
Many young people across the UK come from separated families. Some will see their dad on a regular basis, but still feel a pang when Father’s Day comes along. It’s not uncommon for you to wish you could spend more time your dad, or to secretly wish that your parents would get back together. If you’re feeling sad, talk to someone you trust about how you’re feeling.
Many other young people don’t see their dad at all. This can be incredibly upsetting and confusing. Whatever the reason for not being able to see your dad, it’s important you don’t suffer alone. Talking about your feelings probably won’t change the situation, but it will help you cope with it.
Sometimes, parents are ‘at war’ and the child becomes trapped in the middle. Arguments and break-ups can make you feel torn. You might be feeling pressure to ‘choose a side’ or to favour one parent over the other. It can cause a lot of anxiety and stress if your parents’ actions are making you feel like a miserable piggy-in-the-middle, but you shouldn’t have to suffer in silence.
To read more about dealing with these feelings, click here.
Dealing With Death
Losing someone close to you is a painful experience and a long, difficult healing process. If you’ve lost your dad, Father’s Day can be an unwanted reminder that he’s no longer with you. It’s a raw, painful trigger – for you, and your family.
Father’s Day can stir up all kinds of emotions and feelings, from sadness and hurt, to numbness and even anger. It’s perfectly normal to feel angry and bitter about losing your dad, to want to scream at the world, and to struggle with the unfairness of it all. You may even feel guilty if you’re angry at him for leaving you. Grief is a complex mix of emotions, and everyone deals with it differently.
The truth is there’s no right or wrong way to deal with it. Some people will find it easiest to ignore Father’s Day completely, keeping themselves busy with other things and focusing on ‘just getting through it’. Others find it comforting to surround themselves with family, to spend the day reminiscing about memories and to visit their dad’s grave or memorial. Everyone is different and you need to do what feels right for you. The most important thing is to make sure you have the support of good friends and loving family to help you through.
To read more about coping with grief, click here.
If you need help this Father’s Day, why not open up to our community on the Hidden Strength app to get valuable peer support? You can also track your thoughts and feelings in your own HS app private journal. The Hidden Strength app is available now, for free, on iOS and Android.
