Bereavement and grief are part of life’s experiences. [Bereavement refers to the process of recovering from the death of a loved one, and grief is a reaction for any form of loss. Both encompass a wide range of emotions such as numbness, fear, anger, confusion and deep sadness.]
Depending on one’s background, one’s beliefs, and one’s current life circumstances, some experiences of loss impact us differently than others. Sometimes clients will express surprise and confusion about why a certain loss has impacted them so profoundly. There are always important answers inside this question.
Sometimes losses don’t look like what is traditionally associated with grieving. A child leaving for college, retiring from one’s career, re-location, a health crisis — these these are among some of the grief issues that commonly surprise clients with their intensity and unexpectedness.
Common symptoms of grief can be physical, emotional or social.
A few common symptoms in these categories are:
Physical
- Crying and sighing
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite
- Difficulty sleeping
- Weakness
- Fatigue
Emotional
- Feelings of sadness and yearning
- Feelings of worry or anger
- Feelings of frustration or guilt
Social
- Feeling detached from others
- Self-isolation from social contact
- Behaving in ways that are not normal for you
Every grieving experience is different. A person may be able to continue their day-to-day routine after one loss, yet not be able to get out of bed after the loss of someone else. Whatever your personal symptoms are, grief and bereavement counseling have been proven to help.