Someone fell twenty storeys from a balcony in my old apartment building.

I know, not the happiest way to open a blog, but this is the news I recently received from my former roommate.

I felt as shocked as you probably did reading that opening sentence.

This horribly unfortunate news got me thinking about how I would have dealt with this situation last year. Or worse, if I had known the individual personally.

What services are out there for students who are faced with grief? Is there anywhere to turn?

The answer is yes.

Counseling at School

Students should take advantage of the counseling services available at their school. The services are there for a reason, free and, most importantly, confidential.

All Canadian universities and colleges have some sort of counseling available for their students--you pay for it in your tuition! I have had many friends from a number of universities tell me about all the positive experiences they've had while visiting their school's support centre.

I explored a couple of school websites and one of the best counseling sites I found was Carleton University's. It outlines many of the different services available for students.

If you head over to your school's website, I'm sure you'll be able to find out how to make your way over to the support centre on your campus.

On the Internet

For someone grieving, the Canadian Mental Health Association's website gives insight on just what you're going through while grieving. Apparently, there are three steps: Shock, Disorganization and Reorganization. All steps are completely normal and the website outlines different tactics you can take to help yourself along the way. For example:

Take enough time. Everyone reacts differently to a loss. It is hard to estimate a "normal" grieving period; it will probably take longer than you expect.

I also ended up on the website for National Students of Ailing Mothers and Fathers Support Network. While the organization is American based, I think that the advice offered is universal and worth a visit.

You will likely feel as though you are the only person on your campus, who is coping with illness or death. While few share their experiences with others, you are not alone. 35-48% of college students have lost a family member or close friend within the last 2 years.

I also stumbled upon Lucy MacDonald's blog. She's a Canadian Certified Councilor based in Montreal. Again, her blog goes beyond dealing with grief, but she makes many posts about coping with loss. Interestingly, Lucy defines grief beyond just the death of a loved one:

...there might be a breakup of a relationship, a project which failed or which disappointed us, the retirement or firing from a job, the loss of a hope for a particular thing, the ending of a pleasant experience...

The great thing about her post is that she provides a list of Canadian resources that students can utilize if they don't know where to turn to. It's probably still best to talk to a specialist at school, but if you don't feel comfortable on campus, you should pick up the phone.

Reaching Out

Most of the sites that I visited said that the best thing that someone can do while grieving is talk about it. While it may be difficult to do, it will make things easier if you create an outlet. There are meetings that you can attend if you would rather speak with people who are going through similar circumstances.

Again, Lucy MacDonald's blog has a list of organizations that can help you find the right group. Most websites said that a good friend with an open ear is the best form of "therapy" for a grieving friend/student.