The Grieving Process
While most people tend to associate grief with the death of a family member or a friend, the truth is that there are many other kinds of grief that we suffer during our entire lives. Simply put, grief is the reaction that each one of us has to any kind of loss. It may be the reaction to a retirement, divorce, loss of a job, a miscarriage, a loss of a friendship, a loss of a pet or a person, among others.
The truth is that dealing with grief is something natural and there is no specific time-frame for the process to be completed. While for some people it may only take them a few weeks or months to recover, for others it may take years. However, no matter what time-frame you need to complete your grief process, you’ll surely pass through a stage where you are sad. Then, you’ll probably feel angry and mad. The reality is that the grieving processes are different from person to person and depend on many factors.
Grief is usually associated with some feelings like yearning, sadness, regret, guilt, anger, among others. While some people may feel a sense of relief, others simply experience a kind of meaningless.
When you are grieving, the kinds of thoughts that people have can also be substantially different. While some people think “I could have done more. It’s my fault.”, others just think that “there’s nothing I can do about it.” And depending on the kind of thoughts that you have, your behavior will show it as well. While some people tend to cry as much as they can, others can be crying and simply start laughing without any apparent reason. Some people try to find a way out to not deal with the grief and they tend to rely on work, writing, cleaning, or any other activity that allows them to have their minds busy. While some people just prefer to be left alone, others require the presence of their friends for comfort.
The truth is that there isn’t a right or wrong way to grieve. Each person has their own personality and they will know the best way to handle their grief in time.
According to the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Foundation, grief involves a 5 stage process: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. While you may or may not pass through all these stages, the truth is that you’ll most probably experience the anger, the anxiety, and the depression.
Recovering From Grief
As we already mentioned above, there isn’t a unique way to recover from grief. After all, we are all different. There are people who are more emotional and there are people who are more rational.
However, it’s important to recover from grief and there are things that you can do to help with the process. These include physical exercise, having a strong social support network, and even self-compassion. When you are experiencing a harder time with your grieving process, one of the best things you can do is to find a therapist who can help you. These professionals have the tools and knowledge to help. It really doesn’t matter if you like to keep your feelings to yourself or you are the most expansive person in the world. Having someone who is there, ready to hear and help you, can be a true life-saver.