When you experience a loss, whether it be the loss of a loved one, a job, a way of life or a relationship for example, the natural response is grief. You can experience grief for any life transition not just when someone or something has passed away.
Every individual experiences grief in their own way. There is no right or wrong way, no set pattern, and no timeline. Grief can be expressed in many ways and it can affect every aspect of your life, including your thoughts, your behaviours, your beliefs, your physical health, your emotions, your sense of self, your sense of identity, your relationships with other people, and your mental health.
Grief can bring up feelings of sadness, anger, anxiety, shock, regret. being overwhelmed, relief, isolation, irritation and/or numbness. Some individuals go through the grieving process for weeks and months, others may go for years. The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief is likely to be.
Although it may appear as the individual is suffering from depression, the two are quite different.Both can lead to intense feelings of sadness, insomnia, poor appetite and weight loss. However, depression is more persistent with constant feelings of despair, emptiness, and having difficulty in feeling pleasure or joy. It is important to get support and/or professional help if these symptoms continue or if the grief gets in the way of how you live, work, relate to others, or live day to day.
However, through the process of grief, you can begin to create new experiences that work around your loss.
How to get through the grief and loss
There is no quick fix unfortunately as grief takes time to work through. Going through the grief process is an individualised matter, however there are some things that you can do to help yourself through it.
- Have the support of your family and friends, or someone that you feel comfortable when you need to talk
- Talk about how you are feeling
- Join a support group
- Look after your physical health e.g. healthy diet, exercise and sleep, as grieving can be exhausting
- Manage stress by asking your family or friends to help you
- Give yourself permission to not be too hard on yourself
- Try some relaxation techniques or maybe some gentle exercise such as walking
- Do things that you enjoy even if you don’t feel like doing them
- Most importantly ***Don’t be afraid to ask for help and seek professional help***.
If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment, please contact us on 8448 1106.