Grief is a sacred, tender, and transformative part of the human experience.
Grief is a natural response to any form of loss, whether it's the loss of a loved one (humans and/or beloved pets) or the loss of a role or relationship that was dear to us. Grief in any form can encompass a wide range of emotions, such as fear, anger, and deep, deep sadness.
Some losses are less complicated, and some are filled with complications that can shake us to the core.
Everyone's healing process from a loss will be different, depending on the type of loss, one's background, beliefs, and many other factors.
Each person will have a different experience with each unique loss that they go through in life.
Having support as you find your footing on the path of healing from grief can help.
Grieving well, in a way that is attuned to your personal experience and to your story, can pave a path toward deep healing and making meaning of your loss.
Grief, and especially more complicated forms of grief, temporarily impact the state of our nervous system, and this can make self-care, carrying out our daily responsibilities, and relating to others challenging.
When we're in grief, our nervous system can temporarily switch into a different state than where it usually resides.
This temporary change in the nervous system can cause significant and intense physical, mental, emotional, or social experiences that can catch us off guard if we don't understand what is happening.
Common experiences of grief can be physical, emotional, or social.
A few common experiences in these categories are:
Physical
- Crying and sighing
- Brain fog
- Confusion
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite
- Difficulty sleeping
- Weakness
- Fatigue and exhaustion
Emotional
- Feelings of sadness and yearning
- Feelings of worry or anger
- Feelings of frustration or guilt
Social
- Feeling detached from others
- Self-isolation from social contact
- Behaving in ways that are not normal for you