Q. I lost someone special this year - I'm worried how I'll cope over Christmas. Please help?

A. It is completely understandable that the first Christmas - indeed the first of any occasion - without a loved one can make you apprehensive.

And it is of no comfort at all that there will be hundreds, thousands and indeed millions of other people in the same situation as you this Christmas.

However, there are some tips I can give which may help you.

• Thinking about the good times you may have had with a special person who is no longer with us can make you sad - but it is also a cause of joy. Joy that you had them in your life - so try to enjoy those activities with others.

• Talk about your experience. Other members of your family, and your friends, will also be missing that special person in your life so try to talk about your feelings with others who are close to you.

• Try to fill your diary with things you enjoy. You may not feel like joining in at first but if you put things in your diary to look forward to each day, such as a walk in the park or going to a local coffee shop, library, sports centre, cinema or museum, you will feel less lonely.

Do what you want to do.

Your mind and your body will tell you what you want to do, as you may want to put aside some time to think about your thoughts of that special person, or you may want to fill your time.

There's no one way to manage, but if you need some support, Cruse Bereavement Care is a national charity that provides advice, information and support to anyone who has experienced bereavement.

Cruse offers confidential and free face-to-face, telephone, group, email and website support for both pre and post-bereavement.

You can contact the helpline on 0844-477-9400 or email: helpline@cruse.org.uk.

Dr Richard Roberts

GP at James Cochrane Practice