I have always considered grief to be a fickle thing, and one that is unique to each person who experiences it. There is no clear manual on how to grieve, or what you’re supposed to feel, or not feel, for that matter, and considering grief is often the result of loss, it can make emotions difficult to comprehend and discern. Perhaps you’re questioning why you’re feeling one emotion as opposed to another; perhaps you’re feeling wrong for not feeling a specific way. Grief is isolating, confusing and exhausting, and despite its many negative connotations, it is something that most of us experience at some point or another throughout life.
We recently lost someone in our family, and because it was sudden, these past few days have not been easy. When we were initially informed, my husband and I were blindsided and in shock. Now that a few days have passed, we are still in shock and disbelief, despite the absolute certainty of this death, and we have said to each other more than once that we aren’t entirely sure what we are supposed to be feeling at this given point. And, I imagine others in the family are arguably feeling similar to us.
I wanted to share some resources about grief for anyone out there who may, too, be struggling with it, and this information comes from helpguide.org.
“Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. Often, the pain of loss can feel overwhelming. You may experience all kinds of difficult and unexpected emotions, from shock or anger to disbelief, guilt, and profound sadness.
“The pain of grief can also disrupt your physical health, making it difficult to sleep, eat, or even think straight. These are normal reactions to loss—and the more significant the loss, the more intense your grief will be.
“Coping with the loss of someone or something you love is one of life’s biggest challenges. You may associate grieving with bereavement, the death of a loved one—which is often the cause of the most intense type of grief—but any loss can cause grief,” the web page explains.
Check back tomorrow for more help with grief and the grieving process.
Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash
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