Loss is a part of life, and like all loss, these transitions can be painful. Grief is a logical response to these transitions. Each of us, regardless of our station in life, experience times of great sorrow and loss. We deal with those losses in our own way. Some are easier to deal with than others, but each of these transitions change our lives in very definite ways.
LIFE-ALTERING EVENTS:
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The death of a parent, child or spouse
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Diagnosis of a chronic or terminal illness
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A serious decline in the health of someone you love
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Retirement
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Moving away from friends and loved ones
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Death of a pet
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Having to give up a portion of your independence or a significant activity
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Suicide of a loved one, friend, acquaintance, or colleague
LINK TO USEFUL WEBSITE RESOURCES:
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The Association for Death Education and Counseling: https://www.adec.org/
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IDONTMIND – Your Mind Matters, Talk About It: https://idontmind.com/about
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Mental Health Matters: https://mhmyouth.org/
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Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia support: https://www.alz.org/
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College Student Guide to Managing Grief: https://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/resources/managing-grief/
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Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/ or call 988 (just like dialing 911)
GRIEF & HEALING
We grieve because we love. If we didn’t love, grief would not be necessary. Healing doesn’t mean not missing or remembering that person we loved any more. To the contrary, healing is learning to live again without that person in your life anymore. Most experts agree that healing can’t happen if you don’t express your grief.
Suppression and denial of your grief can cause your grief to become overwhelming, and often manifests mentally, emotionally, or physically. Grieving takes time. It’s a process. When someone you love dies, your life is permanently changed. Happiness and joy will come again. Sadness will not last forever. Be patient with yourself, a sense of normalcy will return, but it will be a ‘new’ normal.
GRIEF CAN ENCOMPASS A MULTITUDE OF EMOTIONS
Significant loss comes with significant emotions. You may experience a myriad of emotions as you go through your grieving process, such as relief, guilt, sorrow, fear, confusion or disorganization. Some of these emotions could be explosive or compartmentalized. This is totally normal and healthy. The five stages of grief, include: Denial; Anger; Bargaining; Depression; and Acceptance.
Grief can also sneak up on you. It can show up at the most unexpected times. It is important to allow yourself to experience those feelings. Talk about it with a friend or someone you trust. A support network is important when you are grieving the loss of someone important to you.
GRIEVING IS A PROCESS
Loss is a part of life. When we experience that loss, we experience grief. Grief comes in various forms, and everyone experiences it in their own way. This is normal. However, grief also has some common traits that everyone experiences at one time or another.
You might have heard of the stages of grief. When someone experiences a major loss, they can move through them - shock, numbness, guilt, anger and denial. These feelings are fluid. When someone is grieving, they might also experience physical symptoms such insomnia, lack of appetite, an inability to concentrate, depression or a lack of interest in taking part in favorite activities.
Losing someone who is important to you is a life-altering event and grieving takes time. You might visit some of the stages of grief more than once, and sometimes grief may come to you years after a death. When you allow yourself to experience these thoughts and feelings, and accept them as a part of that loss, you are moving forward toward healing and acceptance.
When you experience a major loss, it can be devastating. It can be incredibly difficult to just get out bed in the morning. Your regular day-to-day routine may now be overwhelming. If you find that you are having a hard time dealing with the basic functions in your life or having a hard time reconnecting with your friends after a death has occurred, you might want to consider seeking professional help. Depression can be debilitating. If you continue to experience physical symptoms of grief, months after loss, it may be time to seek the assistance of a physician. In today’s world, seeking mental health assistance is common no matter what your age or demographic group.
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Jefferson Memorial Cemetery
Phone: (412) 655-4500
Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home
Phone: (412) 655-4501
