The relationship between demographic characteristics, social support, network orientation, and the stress response to the death of a family member was studied. Participants were members of a national self‐help group for the bereaved, The Compassionate Friends (sample n =158), who completed a demographic questionnaire, and measures of stress response, social support, and orientation toward the helpfulness of others. Results indicated that time since the death was the strongest determinant of the severity of the stress response, followed by orientation toward the helpfulness of others. Satisfaction with social support was directly related to the number of people in the support network and participants' orientation toward others' helpfulness. Help‐seeking behavior was directly related to number of people in the support network. These results are discussed relative to counseling practice and grief awareness.