Difficulty dealing with grief right now.?

I an dealing with grief right now over a very painful loss. Eight days ago, my Father died after an unsuccessful battle with Alzheimer's Disease. But unlike most deaths that I and others have experienced, I experienced no closure. Two of the most painful issues that I have experienced with his death is the fact that I could not tell him goodbye while his body layed in his bedroom for 24 hours. I was also unable by distance to attend a memorial service for him. There was also an issue with me that was spiritual in nature in that my Father refused to accept Christ as his savior. I have a strong personal Christian faith and his choice was a complete contradiction to my beliefs. With the unresolved issues over my Father's death, I have been experiencing unimaginable grief. I am seeking help through my psychologist. But who else can I talk to and what else can I do? Comment is invited especially from those who have come before me.

i think you are doing the right thing by seeking help, i really do feel for you at this horrid time. you must remember that your father will hold no grudges about your spiritual differances and he will fogive you for not saying good bye, but im sure he would be upset to see you suffering like this i dont know much of your faith but if you belive in an after life think about attendeng a spiritulist church as these are christian at the core but can also help with contacting your dad and can be a great releaf for the grevieing. i wish you love and peace and look to jesus to keep you strong.

You are responsible for your own life, as he was, for his. His beliefs were not yours, and neither are the those of the vast majority of the world's population, just many of those around you. Go to http://www.mind.org.uk/ and type "grief" in the taskbar, and enter. Call: The Grief Recovery Institute (U.S.A.) 1-800-445-4808, or Hospice (phone book). Email jo@samaritans.org Chatrooms and forums: http://www.chatmag.com/topics/health/gri... and http://talkingminds.15.forumer.com/ and http://messageboards.ivillage.com/ Other websites: http://www.griefnet.org/ and http://www.helpguide.org/ and http://www.mental-health-abc.com/ and http://www.boblivingstone.com/?q=node30 Understand that there are often several stages of grief.
The stages are:

Denial: The initial stage: "It can't be happening."
Anger: "Why ME? It's not fair?!" (either referring to God, oneself, or anybody perceived, rightly or wrongly, as "responsible")
Bargaining: "Just let me live to see my son graduate."
Depression: "I'm so sad, why bother with anything?"
Acceptance: "It's going to be OK."
K眉bler-Ross originally applied these stages to any form of catastrophic personal loss (job, income, freedom). This also includes the death of a loved one and divorce. K眉bler-Ross also claimed these steps do not necessarily come in order, nor are they all experienced by all patients, though she stated a person will always experience at least two.

See http://www.amazon.com/ for books on the various stages. After a while, consider making a photoalbum/scrapbook and/or a shrine, in remembrance, and set aside one day per month on which to reflect. Many religious organisations offer counselling, or you may feel more comfortable with a therapist, to express your thoughts, and feelings. Journalling may help in this. If there is depression: visit your doctor, and see depression treatments, at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris in section 2.
Suggested Resources on Grief and Mourning

Livingstone, B. (2002). Redemption of the Shattered: A Teenager's Healing Journey through Sandtray Therapy, http://www.boblivingstone.com/.

Livingstone, B. (Planned August, 2007). The Body-Mind-Soul Solution: Healing Emotional Pain through Exercise, Pegasus Books.

Simon, S, & Drantell, J. J. (1998). A Music I No Longer Heard: The Early Death of a Parent, Simon and Schuster.

Grollman, E. (1995). Living when a Loved One has Died, Beacon Press.

James, J. W. & Friedman, R. (1998). The Grief Recovery Handbook, Collins.

Would like to help you, but don't know how. It seems to me, that going to speacialist is right thing to do. Did you really asked for help when talking to specialist? Only experience I had with psychologist was when I started couple counceling. Next thing happened is I actually did what was my biggest fear - I broke up with my wife. Not for long though. Her biggest fear was to be left. We've been away for 2 months, then we went back together and things are really better.

I think I had really, like REALLY good specialist. During sessions I shared few of my griefs and she helped me to get over it. This happened in London, UK. As Americans are pros how to feel good, Europeans are pros of community network and helping each other at bad times. I would suggest you to look speacialist who is an immigrant, with the digree of course, but with and European background.

As well as the excellent suggestions from Shaneris, check the churches around you. Lots of them have grief support groups that I know would sympathize with your major problem.

I am sorry to hear of your loss, under circumstances more difficult than usual as you've indicated. Time may eventually heal some of the grief but you should understand he loved you, religious differences aside..that's the most important thing to allow some help to put the loss in perspective, in time, on your relationship with your father.

Suggest a grief counseling group would help somewhat...available through hospitals, church groups, etc. Professionals who deal with family losses repeatedly should be able to help you cope.

Again, my sincere condolences.

There is a technique you can use to ease your grief. It works for all sorts of emotional problems. It also has the advantage of being costless, simple, safe and the results will amaze you.
You can get a free (donate if you want) email consultation here: http://www.info-santanyi.com/eftservice/...

With every person I've lost ,the feelings were different .Did you love your father ? Did you treat him right when he was alive ?
Your father's religious beliefs were his concern not yours. Now that he is gone ,you can't change that. And didn't he have a right to have his beliefs respected.
If you were unable to attend his funeral , remember , funerals are for the living .
Keep seeing your psychologist , and remember ,it's about how you treated him when he was alive .

GOOD LUCK