How do you get over the trauma of watching someone when they die?

Please contact hospice and ask about their grief counseling sessions. You'll be with others who feel the same way, and it can help immensely. You'll also meet people who have found peace in passing on an elder, so the perspective should help. If you don't do that, I'd suggest a private counselor. This is part of life and it's affecting your own quality of life. Please do this for yourself.
Best wishes,
Carol

Hey there Addie,
I was with my mom and dad when they both died and it is a bear.
Personally, because everyone is different, what helped me cope was the fact that it was time for them to go. their poor bodies couldn't take any more and it was time for them to go home.
When my mom died almost a year ago now, I held her hands and looked into her beautiful blue eyes and was telling her to go and find daddy and that he was there waiting for her. It tore my guts out, make no mistake but the reality was that it was time for her to go. She was suffering and then she was free. She actually died with a little smile on her face. I will never forget it.

I agree with you that you can't continue to go through this. Carol has excellent advice in seeking a live support group and are you taking any meds for anxiety? I sure was and still am!! no guilt there! a panic attack is the worst and I was having them left and right and decided that this was no way to live especially since they have a nice med for it and you don't have to take it all the time, just when you need one. xanax works for me and talk to your doctor. If he/she doesn't see it your way, get another doctor. life's too short.

Say what you have to say to your mom, all the things.... you know what I mean, you love her and you wish she would love forever and the 2 of you could go on and on, but that you'll be ok and you will see her again in the blink of an eye.

Now here's a trick that you may be able to use:
EVERY time you have anegative thought and I mean EVERY time, you redirect yourself with a differt positive thought. For me it was a boat. I trained myself to think of a beautiful boat every time I thought of something awful like my daddy's death or mom being so sick, etc.
You can actually create a new habit for yourself in 21 days. It takes 21 days to change a behavior and if all of this insanity, and it is insanity, is getting you bonkers, redirect your thoughts and you will beging to see a difference in how you feel. It's not the easiest thing to do but it sure beats the sox off of not trying something!

Is there a way to find a facility for your aunt? Maybe it's time that you lived your life without this insanity. I know that death is part of life, but I for one am not wired to be a caregiver even though I did it for almost 6 years. I would NEVER do it again and I don't want to be the one sitting bedside holding a hand again either.
I did my job and saw both my parents to their graves and that's enough.
OK, Addie, I hear you and please keep venting here because this website is something that can keep you from going totally bonkers. We Care.
lovbob

My mom died 2 weeks ago of a very aggressive and 100% fatal type of cancer. We watched as she slowly gave way to this stupid cancer. She basically died of starvation caused by the cancer, but dying of starvation is pretty gruesome. She went down really fast, which in an of itself was a blessing from God, to take her so she didn't have to suffer anymore. I was with my father-in-law 2 years ago when he basically drowned with all the fluid in his lungs. I sat with my mother-in-law by his bedside listening to what sounded like an old fashioned percolator as he breathed his last. I was grateful that she was there, and though it was awful, she was so grateful that I was with her. I stayed with my grandma in the nursing home when she was dying, and later when she had died and I wasn't aware of it, I went to see her on Christmas night one more time, but her bed was empty cause she was gone. It's what we humans do, watch other humans be born, live and eventually die. It made all the difference in the world knowing that my mom was a born-again Christian and, according to God Himself, she's with Him as I write this. That is where I find the strength to see the people that I love die, knowing that it's only temporary. As awful as it is, I felt privileged to be with my family during these gross, scary times. Getting old stinks though.

Hi Addie. I am 41 years old and have been through this a couple of times and now I am taking care of my 62 year old father who had two massive heart attacks back to back, was gone for over 10 minutes after the first and developed an anoxic brain injury because of lack of oxygen. He is the reason I joined this site.

Let me just say that I am sorry that you are so overwhelmed by the events that are occurring in your life. No one ever deals with the pain of watching loved ones suffer or die and says it is easy. Ten years ago, I was dealt quite a blow when my grandmother was diagnosed with liver cancer. Never a drink, a cigarette, nothing and this strong, vital woman was diagnosed with this terminal disease. As well as that happening, a friend, 28 years old, fell off of his roof and was in a hospital bed as a vegatable until he died. This was all over the course of 6 months. By the way, my grandmother died at 3:30 AM and my friend died exactly 12 hours later.

I was with my grandmother when she died. The last word she spoke was "pain". It was heartbreaking. She was heavily sedated after that and her heart gave out. The suffering that I saw this woman, one of my best friends, go through almost made it bearable that she was gone. I also think it was a gift to me to be there with her. On the flip side, it was a comfort to her not to be alone.

It was not an easy day and I miss both just as much today as I did ten years ago, but if you have done all that you can do and the person that you love so much is ready to go, you just have to keep plugging through your life and let them go. Your life has not ended. You need to enjoy even the smallest of things that bring you happiness. For some it is volunteering or getting a pet. For others it is prayer. I don't know you, but it seems like you have an overwhelming amount of sadness and grief. Maybe you have someone to speak with. Maybe a long walk could do some good. For me, I get in the car, blast the radio and sing my favorite songs at the top of my lungs. By the way, I am a real sucky singer, but I don't care. It is a release. You do what you have to do and try to be strong for your loved one.

I wish you peace and happiness in your life. Don't ever give up and don't ever be afraid to vent or ask someone for help, but you have to do something for your well being. Take care and I really do hope the best for you.

It is currently “fashionable” in our geographic area to ubiquitously include the statement “.......died at home, surrounded by dearly loved family and friends.....etc. “
My mother was a fiercely private, self contained woman who would have been horrified to have had a crew of people milling around her when she was departing.

I too will prefer to make my personal decisions about such matters when and if I become aware that it’s time for such decisions to be made.

The idea that anyone, family, funeral home personnel, medical personnel, social service personnel ET AL, should attempt to direct such personal and private arrangements is much more unpleasant to me than the actual time of departure.

I do not choose to be present at the death of even very cherished loved ones except when specifically requested to be. My family members know that I do not expect them to be clustering around my bedside either.

WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT, and our human frailties and peculiarities deserve to be respected.

Listen to the above....MANY years of experience here! Everyone "hits the wall" at some point during their caregiving journey. Yours is now. Do not ignore it. It is your body's way of telling you to make a change or it will do it for you.
Look into an ALF or NH for your aunt. Limit visits with your Mom until you can get things under control. And please seek counseling and a good doctor who understands how to treat emotional issues. I am not normally a fan of drug therapies but it might be a good "stop gap" measure until you can get your feet under you.
Make just one change today that will improve your life....even if it is a small one.
And come here as often as you need...we're open 24/7 :o)

You have my empathy for what you have gone threw,but your anxiety is because you don't understand Gods word our peace comes from knowing him.Death is part of life we don't want to deal with but we all have to face.I have just said good bye for now to my sister died a week ago it was peaceful because she was a Christian I have also had to watch a son die it was peaceful why?Because you have to have a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ that is the only way you can handle all these deaths

Perhaps if you look into people's experiences with near death experiences you will find that although the final hours may look bad to you the one who is nearing death is actually experiencing a blissful state usually. Also read up on the stages of dying and how much Hospice and medication helps to make the experience much easier. And there are support groups for survivors. We really do not talk enough about death in USA.

You don’t get over it but with each day it gets easier. But having faith in the Lord and believing his word gives you the peace . The Bible says absent from the body is to be present with the Lord we all will pass this way but the difference is having God in your life with him you can handle all of this

I was told by the hospice nurse when my Dad was there for one week that some family members choose not to be there when their loved one passes. They simply are just "run down" as they say and cannot bear to watch them die. That alone made me feel okay. When my Dad reached a certain stage, I began to back off a little due to anxiety attacks. I saw that Dad was sedated with morphine and he did not squeeze my hand nor did he look at me. He was definitely kept comfortable. I came home but a relative sat with him overnight at hospice and the next morning the nurse called to say he only had a very short time. I got dressed and left for hospice with a horrible dread! My Dad passed away while I was on my way there. His minister was there with him even though Dad was not with it at all. I did not want to see my Dad die. I am glad I did not put myself through that now. It was alright since we could not talk anyway and he was sedated. Many people make this choice. Don't feel that you HAVE to be there. You have to take care of yourself too. By the way, my mother is in assisted living now due to her condition. She finally spent her money down on home caregivers and she was in very bad shape plus she lost her eyesight on top of everything else (dementia). I go to sit and visit with my mother but I have backed off a little on that. I ended up in the cardiologist's office and it was due to stress. I was told by the doctor and my friends to take care of myself too and just be sure Mom is being taken care of properly. Give yourself a break and don't feel badly at all if you decide not to be there when your Mom passes. We all have our limitations.