Jean's father had been seriously ill for many years with leukaemia but his death four years ago was still a devastating blow.

She spent two weeks off work trying to come to terms with her loss but soon tried to resume her busy life again juggling the needs of work and family.

She felt she was coping but in just a few weeks went to her GP at Westcliffe Medical Centre in Shipley with severe chest pains.

Doctors feared she had suffered a heart attack but it became clear she was experiencing a physical reaction to her loss.

Jean, not her real name, was offered a place on a specialist bereavement counselling group based at the centre.

She attended ten weekly sessions to talk through her situation with other people who had also lost relatives or been through divorce, lost their job or had serious health problems which, despite initial misgivings, helped her deal with her feelings.

Group psychotherapist Chris Powell said new research had shown specialist groups set up at the centre were helping many patients who might otherwise need medication.

"A death in the family is bound to be upsetting but while some people manage to move on and cope, others struggle badly," he said.

"Some people find that they can't sleep, have trouble eating, experience strong feelings of guilt, anger or loneliness. Others find they develop physical symptoms such as breathing problems or rashes.

"Our research shows that our support groups can make a real difference in helping people adjust and cope.

"They find that listening to other people's struggles and ways of coping can help."

Jean, 44, said she felt she had come to terms more quickly with her father's death thanks to talking to people who had been through similar experiences.

"When you lose someone very close, even though it was something we expected it still comes as a shock and being a mother and having a job you feel you have to keep going whatever.

"I am very anti-drugs for medication and it was suggested I come to this group although I wasn't too keen.

"There was never any pressure in the group for anybody to talk if they didn't want to and a lot of people were unsure about sharing their views but the group got more confident.

"I felt I came quite a long way. The thing with bereavement is you get very wrapped up in your own self-pity and grief but you think no-one else knows what you are suffering.

"So many things go on inside you if you bottle them up, if you share them it helps you come to terms with things.

"I still miss my dad terribly but I feel I have gone through the spectrum of everything you can feel.

"Coming to a group is not admitting defeat, it's not saying you can't cope."

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