Grief

The Nature of Grief
Grief is a natural response to a devastating loss. Most people associate grieving with death, but one can experience grief with any type of loss. Grief can be overwhelming and even severe enough to threaten mental and physical health.

The Stages of Grief
There are five recognized stages of grief: denial, anger, guilt, bargaining, and acceptance. The stages follow no specific order and each person’s response to grief is different. A person may go through any of the stages, at any time, and even jump back and forth between them.

• Denial can manifest as physical numbness, as we try to protect ourselves from what is happening.
• We may feel anger toward people and situations that we feel are responsible – directly or indirectly – for the loss.
• We may turn that anger inward and experience guilt for our perceived role in the loss, or for things that we have done – or left undone.
• Depression can occur alone or with the other stages.
• As time goes on, we come to peace with the situation and accept the loss. However, even after we reach the stage of acceptance, we may still experience periods of anger, guilt or depression.

Coping With Grief
Grief is both physically and mentally draining. Often, we may find ourselves unable to function normally and too paralyzed to effectively ask for help. The first thing to remember is that our friends and family love us, are there for us and are willing to help. Starting a course of therapy, with a mental health practitioner, will also help you cope with the grief. Journaling is a very effective way of examining and processing your feelings.