Martine McCutcheon has admitted she is finding it tough to even get out of bed after the death of her younger brother.
The heartbroken actress, 46, announced last month her brother Laurence John (LJ) McCutcheon had died, aged just 31 and paid tribute to her younger sibling on Instagram at the time.
Taking to Instagram, Martine revealed her grief "hurts like hell" as she addressed her loss after sharing a moving poem on the social media platform a few weeks ago which was about embracing life.
The Love Actually star discussed her experience with loss in a post yesterday, in which she encouraged her followers to "keep going" through difficult periods.
Martine began the post - which included a photo of her from a recent trip to Hertfordshire to meet some pals - saying she had planned to make a "vague" post but feels her fans "appreciate [her] honesty" about her experiences.
She worote: "Life isn't all optimism and love of life generally! Let's face it, life can be complicated, sad, fragile and can be a rollercoaster ride.
"Grief isn't pretty. It hurts like hell and makes you question so many things you felt certain of. Just getting up to do normal things can be so tough. Some days I manage, some days I don't."
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Martine continued: "So for any of you going through it, I salute you! But you have to keep being kind to yourself, be kind to your loved ones, keep going when you can and rest when you can as its traumatic."
The performer - whose rose to fame on EastEnders - told her followers on the platform to "be grateful" for what they have and to "be proud of the small wins" in life.
"Be proud of the small wins too. For various reasons, today was especially tough, but It was wonderful to see some old friends for some much needed hugs, some honest conversation and a glass of bubbles," she wrote.
She concluded the recent post by encouraging her fans to "make new memories when you can," with her commenting that it will help "balance things out in time".
Announcing LJ's death last month, Martine said he had died "suddenly" and that there was "no medical explanation" for it. She said the family would be investigating further.
She described her brother as a "gentle giant" who had a "huge heart". Martine has said he'd want her to "keep on keeping on" and was "proud" of her bringing joy to others.
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