Loss is perhaps the most difficult experience that we will ever encounter in our lives.
Types of losses that we can experience:
- Death of a close family member, friend or significant person in our life
- Reproductive loss – this includes miscarriage, stillbirth, infertility, and abortion
- Divorce or separation – this includes all family members who are affected
- Diagnosis of a life-threatening illness
- Terminal prognosis
- Loss of health or mobility
- Death of a pet
- Loss of a job
- End of a friendship
- Loss of a home
When we lose someone or something that is important to us, we can experience many feelings and behaviours, some of which are unexpected.
You may be experiencing periods of intense feelings like anger, sadness, or you may experience times when you are numb and feel nothing, You may be feeling depressed or unusually tired, and you may not be interested in doing the things that normally give you pleasure. You may be experiencing symptoms of fear, anxiety, irritability, panic, sleep disturbances, intolerance to everyday stress, social withdrawal or a loss of sense of self. You may be living every day with some level of emotional distress. You may be unsure of the future, feeling stuck in the past. You may feel that you are alone with no one to turn to for support or you may feel that you do not want to burden your family or friends with your concerns. This time of experiencing these feelings and behaviours is called grief.
Grief is a normal emotional process, and its effects can last for a long time. Everyone grieves differently, and there is no set pattern to grief. The experience of grief can last for weeks, months or years.
Some people try to ignore their grief and pretend that it doesn’t exist. These people generally have greater difficulty getting past the grief and getting on with their lives. No matter what you are experiencing, it is important for you to acknowledge those feelings and behaviours.
When we have experienced a loss, it is important to care for ourselves as we move through the grieving process. The process of moving through the stages of grief is a difficult one and sometimes you may discover that you need some assistance coping with grief. Grief counselling is a specialized form of therapy to assist those who have experienced a loss in coping with their grief.
Grieving is a painful process, but it doesn’t mark the end of your life. Your life must go on.
