Grief, Loss and Transition
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Grief, Loss and Transition
Bereavement
This is a natural process that occurs
when you lose someone through death. For some, the loss of a beloved pet
can be equally painful.
There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to
grieve. Everyone’s experience will be different. Some common feelings
include:
- Life seems to ‘slow down’ or may feel unreal.
- You may sleep more or less than usual.
- There can be a loss of appetite and feelings of agitation.
- You may feel flooded by memories and dreams of the person.
- You may even feel as if they are still somehow with you, and experience the sense of seeing or hearing them as if they were still alive.
Bereavement is often accompanied by feelings of:
- shock
- numbness
- sadness
- guilt
- confusion
- disbelief or denial
- inability to cope; feeling like you are ‘breaking down’
- anger at the person who died because you feel they left you to deal with the consequences of their death.
Grief can be complicated by other feelings and factors, especially if:
- your relationship with the lost one was conflicted
- the person died suddenly or cruelly
- you were too young to understand what happened
- people around you are/were unable to support you, e.g. they didn’t know what to do or say
- the effect of the loss was so great that many areas of your life were thrown out of balance.
Grief can be a very lonely experience. Others around you may have
difficulty relating or may not comprehend the nature or intensity of
your feelings. They may feel it’s better to avoid discussing the loss
and, not knowing how to help, may feel powerless and tend to avoid you.
Easing the pain of bereavement or mourning can extend over two
years, with the first year usually proving the most painful. Grief tends
to come and go. Birthdays, anniversaries and other important occasions
are times when a person may feel like they have just lost the loved one
again. Talking about the loss is often the most effective treatment.
Loss and transition
People experience loss
throughout their lives at different times and in many circumstances. Any
change or transition may cause grief:
- divorce, which can represent the loss of the hope for a happy marriage
- the end of a friendship
- changing or losing a job
- loss of physical health through illness, an accident or ageing
- other life changes.
In fact, even when you want, need or anticipate a particular life
change, there can still be a sense of grief and loss, such as missing
people you worked with or realising you are past the age of having
children.
Christine and the team at the Inner West Therapy
Centre can provide the support you need to help you cope with the pain
and confusion of grief and loss. We can assist you to move toward a
better future, even when it seems impossible or scarcely imaginable.
