How can I stop myself from crying?

You can’t, and shouldn’t. You need to get this painful feeling out, and crying is one way to do it. I promise you the really bad part will be over soon, and you can feel better by remembering the good times you had.

Just let it all out. You don’t have to to control yourself at a moment like this. It’ll stop when you’re done.
Try to relax and breathe regularly.

Sorry about your pet. :(

So sorry for your loss.. I know that you are also grieving the loss of another dear friend. It must be very hard to have to deal with both burdens. Like the people above said, cry away right now, if you need to!

@YARNLADY I have to totally agree with you.

Its okay to cry, it shows that you are still very much human and sensitive to that which is important to you.

People will encounter death some time in their lives. It will take some time before you can accept that Sylvia is gone but it’s okay to cry. Accidents happen. Just give yourself some time to clear your mind and do things that you like. Try not to blame anyone; not your mom, her friend or her friend’s dog if you can. That will only make you feel worse.

Advice so far here has been wonderful. Please cry. It is actually wrong not to. If you have pictures look at them and remember how cute she was and how she made you smile. Picture her at those funny times any time you miss her.

is it weird to feel sad because I’m going to miss the fact that Sylvia made me different than the other people I know. I felt “unique” having her and because she was different. Now that she’s gone I feel like my unique half is gone? Not very many people have opossums and I felt amazing having her. I miss her and don’t think I’m going to cheer up any time soon. :/

As the others have said, go ahead and cry.

But you are unique. Sylvia did not define you. She was part of your life, and it is unusual to have an opossum as a pet – just because she is gone now doesn’t mean that this whole part of your life is gone! It doesn’t mean you are now run-of-the-mill. I suspect you have other unusual and unique things about you. :)

I’m sorry for your loss – losing a pet is heartbreaking. But there will be a time when you can remember her and smile for what she brought into your life and who she was to you. Go ahead and grieve now. Grieve for the loss of your pet. But you still are who you are, pet or no pet.

If you really want to stop crying, I reccommend that you keep yourself busy with tasks that would limit the amount of exposure you have to animals, especially ones with fur. But, there is nothing wrong with crying, you just lost a dear friend, its natural to express grief, healthy even, and as Makstatic said, even human.

Just cry cry cry. Acknowledge the fact she’s dead and not coming back. Bury her body and keep the area clean. Say a prayer for her. Let the sadness slowly drift away as days go by but never forget her.

[Mod says]: Stick to the topic, please. The topic is not about what psychological help users may or may not need.

Sharing your feelings, as you are doing here, is a good thing. Do you have any stories about Sylvia you would like to tell us?

Ducky, i’ve been thinkin about about you. i’m so sorry about Sylvia. Everything we go through makes us stronger. I’m about to lose my old dog any time. Cry, but take care of yourself physically. drink water. This can make you physically ill. Mourning is serious stuff.
Your time with Sylvia makes you unique and special. It doesnt last forever. The memories do.

I hope you have a photo of her. Be strong. Go through these emotions and you can find peace. She likes a smilin ducky…dont we all???

Much love.
jan

I always found it helpful in moments like that to just cry myself to sleep. When you wake up you will find it a little easier to get through the day. You will miss her but as days pass you will realize keeping busy will make it easier.
Sorry about your pet. I’m sure she felt very much cared for and loved by you. Celebrate her life and that will also make things a little less hurtful.

I’m sorry for your loss. This stuff sucks. :( However, Sylvia will never come back, no matter what. It might help you a little if you buried her, or otherwise give her a sendoff, with a bit of a ceremony. I’m sure you thought of that already. Remembering all the happy times and all, and how cute she probbaly was. Make a small marker, or some kinda memorial, even if it’s in a diary. It won’t help totally, certainly not, but it might a little bit, at least for now, and maybe years later, when you think of her.
Having pets die sucks, and I know how you feel. Even if they’re just animals, loosing pets is horrible, if you love them.
Good luck with everything, and remember, Sylvia wants you to be happy.

Like the others have said, I would just let it out for a while, it will get better. I’ve been through that plenty of times, and afterwards remember all the good times.

You can’t and shouldn’t stop yourself from crying if that’s what you feel. The pain and heartache will persist for a long time, but it will get better. Just remember, your opossum had an owner who really loved her, and not too many opossums have had or have that luck. Keep the memory that she lived a good life with you, and keep it in your heart. By doing that, she lives on in your heart.

You’re having a panic attack, if your crying is so bad that you’re feeling lightheaded and having chest pains – panic attack. Ever get a tingly face? Tingly fingers? Hyperventilation?

No worries, wait it out, if it’s a problem that persists speak to your doctor or your parents about medications or options that may help you over this bump. Something as simple as talking to a friend who has also lost a pet will help.

I’ve had panic attacks for the past 12 years, coming up on 13. I have Xanax for sudden issues but use it rarely. After my childhood pet, a Maltese named Athena who lived to be 15.5 years old died, I couldn’t function. I cried, I had panic attacks. I felt empty and everything seemed wrong without her running around underfoot day in and day out. I was ‘lucky’ because she lived a long, happy, healthy life and dealt with heart failure for 7 months or so before she went. I had time to ‘prepare’ as best one can. But I’ve also had pets who died suddenly, being hit by cars, sudden death due to unknown illnesses, etc. I always had other pets to dote on and cuddle with when I felt bad.

I fixed myself this time around by getting a kitten. :(
It doesn’t take away the hurt, but three months later, having something else to fill that space in your life helps you remember the good and forget the bad ending.

Give yourself time to grieve, but watch your emotions carefully. Google advice on how to deal with the death of a pet and how to choose a new one if you choose to go that route – that’s what I did a week or so after Athena died. I didn’t feel like anyone understood I’d lost someone who was at times in my life a better friend than anyone in my family.

Tough it out, get help if you need it, look at pictures from happier times if you can handle it and keep an eye on yourself. Finding a new furry companion was the right choice for me, but it may not be for you.

I wish you the best, my Athena died March 27th, 2010. And even now I have tears welling up just talking about her.

If you feel like you are grieving more for your loss of what you felt made you different, and that without Sylvia you revert to ordinary, don’t. You are still unique for having had a pet opossum. The decision to have her as a pet, and following through with it makes you unique. It is extremely difficult to make a pet of a wild animal. That doesn’t change with Sylvia’s death.

This question looks like shit now, all modded out. Anyway, what everyone else said but without the generic cookie cutterness. There is nothing I can do to bring back your pet, I can only hope to say something to ease your sorrow, but even that may simply retard the grieving process. As a pet, you had a pet opossum that’s rare, how’d you find her? Chin up, don’t think you’re not suppossed to cry, there’s nothing wrong with crying. Unless it’s in public and into a bowl of cornflakes. Killed by a dog, stupid fucking dog, sorry it made you sad.

When Spunky (She is my avatar) died last August, a neighbor sent me this note that said (i’ve inserted Sylvia’s name): Please remember your journey with Sylvia as a Blessing. The loss is Great, but her life was Greater. Your journey with Sylvia was a Gift from God. Sylvia adopted you and made you a better person because of the unconditional Love that was shared. May God give you the strength you need and Bless you.

@BoBo1946 Thank you. That was very sweet of you. :)

My heart goes out to you. Animals are special to you and me. Oh, did i love Spunky!

@truecomedian believe me, if you had read a couple of those prior comments, the mods did good deleting them.

@BoBo1946
Yeah you’re probably right, guess it’s inevitable that some answers aren’t up to par. I just like it all though, even the really bad answers have something useful about them.

@truecomedian hey, totally agree…bad answers can be fun, but the answers given on this one made ducky cry. They attacked her for loving a possum. Having said that, i would like to have seen those also…give them my 2 cents for making those comments! Thank you my friend.

just cry and let it out for as long as you need. sorry for your loss and i know its not easy to get through something like that. i had a hamster named fatty who died two months ago. my screen name is for him….i used to pick him up and go fafafatty infront of him. i still miss him to this day

I was insensitive. I hope you’re feeling better.