Grief

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 have 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.

Any loss can cause grief, including:

• Death of a loved one
• Divorce
• Loss of health
• Losing a job
• Loss of financial stability
• A miscarriage
• Retirement
• Death of a pet
• A loved one’s serious illness
• Loss of friendship
• Selling the family home

Types of Grief

There are types of grief that fall outside the expected symptoms and reactions described above. These include:

• Anticipatory grief: This develops before a significant loss occurs, rather than after. It may happen if a loved one is terminally ill, you have an aging pet, or you know that a job loss is imminent.
• Disenfranchised grief: This happens when you can’t openly mourn your loss, or it’s devalued or stigmatized.
• Complicated grief: The pain of a significant loss may never completely disappear, but it should ease up over time. If grief keeps you from resuming your daily life and relationships, then it becomes complicated grief.

Emotional Symptoms

• Shock and disbelief
• Sadness
• Guilt
• Fear
• Anger
• Physical symptoms
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Lowered immunity
• Weight loss or gain
• Body aches and physical pain
• Insomnia

Managing Grief

Ways to help cope with grief:

• Acknowledge your pain
• Accept that grief can trigger many different and unexpected emotions
• Understand that your grieving process will be unique to you
• Seek out face-to-face support from people who care about you
• Support yourself emotionally by taking care of yourself physically
• Recognize the difference between grief and depression

Seek Support

• Turn to friends and family members
• Accept that many people feel awkward when trying to comfort someone who's grieving
• Join a support group
• Talk to a therapist or grief counselor

Resources

Mourning the Death of a Spouse