Grief is the feeling we have as a natural response to losing something or someone we love. The more the significant the loss is the more grief we will feel. Grief is very personal and specific to each person. There is not “right” way to grieve. Because the grieving process is so subjective, we have to remember to be patient with ourselves while going through the process. Here are some common myths to address and steps to take to deal with grief.
Myth: The pain will go away if you ignore it.
Doing this will actually make the pain worse in the long run. It’s important to face grief and actively work through it.
Myth: If you don’t cry, you’re not really sad or sorry about the loss.
People deal with loss in many different ways, no way is better than the other. There are other ways to handle loss other than crying.
Myth: Grief should last about a year.
There is no time frame on grief. For some it may last a few months, for others a few years. The amount it takes differs from person to person.
Tips for coping with grief:
Get Support
Expressing grief to others allows us to gain support and helps us heal. We can gain support from:
- Family and Friends
- Faith
- A support group
- A therapist or grief counselor
Take Care of Yourself
Stress of loss can really decrease your energy. Taking care of your physical and emotional needs will help you get the grief process better.
- Face you feelings
- Express feelings in a healthy way
- Look after physical health
- Don’t allow anyone to tell you how to feel
- Know you grief triggers
Written By: Jenai Muhammad, graduate level intern, Loring Therapy, LLC
www.loringtherapy.com
No comments:
Post a Comment