Grief and Loss

Loss and grief are fundamental to human life. Grief can be defined as the response to the loss in all of its totality – including its physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioural and spiritual dimensions. Grief is a natural and normal reaction to loss. Grief is the price we pay for love, and a natural consequence of forming emotional bonds to people, pets, possessions, dreams and visions. Grief has also been defined by William Worden  “the feelings of sorrow, anger, guilt, and confusion that arise when one experiences a loss. It is the affect that accompanies bereavement.” Losses in life disconnect us from our sense of who we are and pushes us towards a re-learning about ourselves and the world. For many the desire to 'make sense' and 'find meaning' in the wake of loss is central. “There must be a reason for this,” indicates one's search for meaning. . Making sense of an event is a common process as people try to come to grips with what has occurred. Grieving is without doubt a roller-coaster of feelings, thoughts and ways of behaving and one might feel that they losing their mind literally. However grief is a multi-faceted and very personal - no too people will experience grief in the same way. Most people recover from grief and resume normal activities within six months, though they continue to feel moments of sadness. Others may feel better after about a year, and sometimes people continue to grieve for years without seeming to improve or find relief even temporarily. Grief can be complicated by other conditions, most notably depression, or by the person’s level of dependency on the departed.
What is grief. How can it manifest.
Physical Symptoms
  • Pain & tension in the body
  • Hollowness in the stomach,
  • Tightness in the chest and throat
  • A sense of depersonalization
  • Breathlessness
  • Fatigue
  • Restlessness
  • Nausea
  • Decreased immune system
​
Emotional Symptoms 
  • Shock/numbness and/or emptiness
  • Sadness
  • Fear and anxiety
  • Loneliness and fatigue
  • Anger
  • Helplessness
  • Irritability
  • Yearing and pining
  • Guilt and self reproach

Cognitive Manifestations
  • Disbelief and confusion
  • Preoccupied with the loss
  • Slowed thinking or processing
  • Difficulty making decisions
  • Mental confusion
  • Daydreams or flashbacks
  • Talking to the deceased loved one


Behavioural Manifestations
  • ​Sleep disturbances.
  • Absent-minded behaviors.
  • ​Withdrawal from social activities
  • Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities
  • Dreams of the deceased
  • Appetite disturbances, 
  • Crying and sighing.

​
How can therapy help
  • Support you to adjust to life.
  • Accept the reality of your loss.
  • Working through the many feelings associated with your loss.
  • Coping with the stressors associated with your loss.
  • Finding ways to manage the range of symptoms you experience.
  • Help resolve areas of conflict still remaining.