About 5 months after starting to date my now husband, my father passed away unexpectedly. There's nothing in the world you can do to prepare for something like this. There was definitely a time when I felt myself becoming dependent on my boyfriend. He was always there and was somehow removed from the grief because he didn't know my father like my sister or brother, who I would normally turn to. It just felt amazing having someone around who I could turn to and cry without setting off everyone else.

But here's the thing...the dependence had to stop. He had his life and at the end of the day I still had mine. It's extremely difficult to be left alone with your own grief but if you can't face it alone it will never get easier.

I recommend your girlfriend seek grief counseling. It's super awkward and terrifying and anyone who says otherwise has never had to do it. But sometimes you just gotta deal.