Understanding the grieving process
One of the saddest and most painful periods in our lives is the loss of a loved one. Everyone grieves in different ways, some discover grieving is hard and unbearable. Others find it easier and are confident, and can move on with their life more quickly.
Grief can be like a arrow into your heart. It’s pain can feel overwhelming, You may try to avoid it because grief hurts so bad. Intense feelings of regret or guilt can hinder the healing process. You can become obsessed about how things could have been better, and think about all the things that will never be.
When you are grieving, you may feel a wide range of emotions including: shock, numbness, anger, guilt, anxiety, sadness, loneliness or despair. You may also experience feelings of relief, peace, happiness, or a sense of freedom. Your emotions could shift from day to day, or even hour to hour. The grieving process can last for a long time. Your first reaction may be denial when you first loose a loved one. You may ask yourself why the person has left you alone and the denial will set in, and you may refuse to believe they are really gone.
After the initial shock of losing a loved one, including the disbelief that they are gone, the numbness will diminish. Some people will then go through a period of confrontation.
Confrontation can be very painful as you come to accept the truth of your loss. This phase of grieving can last months or longer. It can be a roller coaster ride of distress, despair, and you may experience conflicting and difficult emotions. You may well feel angry with the person who has died or feel guilty that you are alive and your loved one is not. You may cry often, feel disorganized and lack the ability to focus on tasks. You can have difficulty sleeping or getting up in the morning.
Grieving can include; anger, depression, weight loss, weight gain and a variety of other physical and mental conditions. It’s important to take care of yourself, even when it seems impossible. Get plenty of sleep, eat right, and exercise. Try to avoid numbing the pain with drugs or alcohol.
Grief is usually felt in waves or cycles, with periods of intense and painful sensations that come and go. You may feel that you are experiencing less grief and making progress, but then suddenly face a relapse of unbearable grief that you feel is too much to handle. This can happen during holidays, birthdays, other special occasions or it can happen for no reason. Over time, these periods of intense grieving usually become less frequent and less intense as you adjust your loss.
Grieving just isn’t forgetting, nor is it drowning in tears. It’s not a sign of weakness. The first year you can experience loneliness for the first time, especially when anniversaries, birthdays and other occasions roll around. Grief can last for a year or longer. It is felt in cycles, with periods of intense emotional pain that come and go. It is important to realize and acknowledge that grieving aids the healing process. The key to handling grief is to recognize that recovery can be painfully slow,
Grief is a natural part of life. There are some healthy ways to grieve, and unhealthy ways to grieve. While it is natural to grieve you may continue to struggle with your emotional and mental health, You need to find a way to move on with your life, and put the grief aside while you go about living. This does not mean you should forget about your loved one that has passed on, but you need to learn to keep living, and learn to deal with your emotions so that can enjoy life again.
During the acceptance phase of grieving, you should try to adapt to new life without your loved one. Acceptance over the loss of a close person frequently occurs slowly over the course of a year or more. Everyday living doesn’t completely return to normal, but over time you will find that your daily routine is changing. Fortunately, the process of grieving seems to be built into our genes. Acknowledging and growing from losses seems to be a natural process, You may re-evaluate your own life. How you handle grief can be different from how others handle it. Grieving is not a sign of weakness. Grieving and healing go hand in hand. Give the process time. Don’t feel rushed to get over it. Allow yourself to accept your emotions as part of the healing process. Talk to your family, friends, pastor or a counselor about your sorrow and grief. You need to accept the comfort, help and companionship of other people.
You can help yourself by making some decisions regarding how you will handle family traditions. You might want to continue with some, and begin new ones .
Engage in as many hobbies as you can. By focusing on other things instead of your grief, you can find yourself healing faster. Find new friends and look up old friends. You may still have feelings of loneliness and sadness when you reflect on your memories, but the worst part of grieving will have passed. With time you will be able to move on and enjoy life again.
