Grief is a sacred, tender, and transformative part of the human experience.
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 is a natural response to any form of loss. 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.
Signs of grief and complicated grief can be physical, mental, emotional, social, or spiritual.
A few common experiences that can be a temporary part of the grieving process are:
Physical
- Crying and sighing
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite
- Difficulty sleeping
- Weakness
- Physical fatigue and exhaustion
- Muscle tension
- Body aches, pains, and stiffness
Mental
- Brain Fog
- Decrease in usual level of daily functioning
- Forgetfulness
- Confusion
- Mental fatigue and exhaustion
- Difficulty concentrating
- Difficulty planning and remembering
Emotional
- Feelings of sadness and yearning
- Intense loneliness
- Emotional numbness
- Having a wide range of emotions, sometimes including relief
- Feelings of worry or anger
- Feelings of frustration or guilt
- Feeling regretful, bargaining, "if only"
- Avoidance of reminders of the loss
- Identity disruption or loss of identity
Social
- Feeling detached from others
- Withdrawal
- Difficulty socializing
- Irritability
- Self-isolation from social contact
- Behaving in ways in social situations that are not normal for you
Spiritual
- Feeling disconnected
- Questioning beliefs
- Exploring loss and beliefs around loss and the meaning of life
- Feeling hopeless
- Finding hope
- Struggling to understand the loss and the intense, challenging experience of loss