SEEING St Richard's Hospice encouraging more people to talk about death was a welcome step.

Many of us have experienced the loss of friends and loved ones in a range of different ways, and it can be painful and difficult to confront the issues and circumstances of deaths.

Regardless, we should talk more openly and honestly about death, the way we react to it and the effect it has on us.

Failing to be open and face up to what we feel can have devastating consequences, and bottling unresolved trauma up inside of us is never a good idea.

If we never confront our perceptions and experiences of death, we will never be able to deal with it when it comes up.

It is a subject no-one likes talking about, and that is understandable, but even if we don't speak to other people about death, just thinking about it can help us be much more prepared for when we suffer bereavements in our lives.

As Alice Spearing, director of engagement at St Richards said: "Death and grief are topics many of us shy away from thinking about.

"Dying is a part of life, so why not talk about it?"