Grief & Loss
Grief can feel debilitating and consuming, which is completely natural when you’ve suffered a loss. Grief is a broad term describing the reaction of loss through your feelings, thoughts, emotions, behaviours and physical effects.
Feelings of grief may come from many significant losses, most commonly known from the loss of a loved one in death. When you’re suffering a bereavement, the mourning and grief can feel lonely, confusing and intensely painful with a sadness that doesn’t have a specific time line. This may be further complicated by the circumstances surrounding a death and your relationship with the person.
Grief can also be felt through other significant life losses such as loss of a relationship, separation or divorce, miscarriage, children leaving home, moving, disaster, losing your job or career, illness and disability, loss of property and other important losses. It can feel isolating when others around you don’t always seem in tune with your deepest feelings and heartbreak.
Feelings of grief and loss may include:
- Extreme sadness and sorrow
- Emptiness and emotional pain
- Numbness
- Devastation and helplessness
- Yearning and intense pining
- Anger and frustration
- Sensitivity and irritability
- Anxiety and panic
- Sense of overwhelm
- Guilt, remorse or blame
- Disbelief or denial
- Preoccupation of thoughts
- Withdrawal or avoidance
- Substance abuse
- Chronic depression
- Physical symptoms such as over/under eating, fatigue, lack of sleep
Loss isn’t something you need to ‘get over’. It’s about finding a different way to live, there is no right or wrong way, just your way. It is normal for everyone to have different grief responses. Your self-care and the ongoing care of those around you is extremely important. Learning ways to cope through grief and finding extra support for you and loved ones can be helpful through this difficult time.
