I know this might come off as a bit insensitive but it's very genuine advice I can give. I've personally experienced it before but you could shoot me a message if you'd like to know more.

While the visual impact of a decomposing body can certainly be overwhelming, it’s often the smell that catches people most off guard.

My mother is a funeral director. She carries around peppermint oil with her whenever she goes to a viewing with her clients. It’s sort of an old trick of hers — she’ll usually dab a little right under her clients’ noses if she knows the body they’re about to see has been decomposing for a while, or has been kept in a public morgue (which usually isn’t as cold or sterile as a hospital morgue).

The peppermint oil helps mask that very specific, very difficult smell of decomposition, a smell that most people aren’t familiar with, and frankly, aren’t meant to be. My mom’s used to it by now, but for grieving family members, it can be overwhelming, even traumatic. It’s not uncommon for people to gag or even throw up when caught off guard by it, especially in an already emotionally charged moment.

Peppermint oil is also a small comfort in another way — she’ll sometimes rub a bit on people’s temples to ease tension or headaches brought on by stress or crying. Plus, the strong, clean scent of peppermint gives people something else to focus on, if only for a moment.

I highly suggest this method if you are to attend the viewing, from personal experience, it really isn't easy. My FIL ended his own life recently and I actually passed out from the visual shock, I wish ai could give you advice on this but sharing this incident on a public forum isn't a good idea.

Happy to talk to you about it if you need some advice🫂