Bereavement, Loss & Grief
The loss of a significant person in our lives is a very traumatic experience, which evokes a wide range of natural, but sometimes unexpected emotional responses. The strength of this ripple effect endures far beyond the time of the initial loss. Consequently, feelings and issues not addressed during this period can impede our capacity to move through the grieving process.
Sometimes there is a feeling of unfinished business, or often we can be left overwhelmed by emotions of:
- Guilt
- Sadness
- Loneliness
- Hopelessness
- Lack of purpose
- Anger
- Depression
Physical symptoms of grief can include:
- Exhaustion
- Impaired concentration abilities
- Poor memory function
- Sleep disruption
- Vivid dreams about the deceased
- Loss of appetite
- Irritability
We may believe that we are destined to feel these feelings forever, or that others perceive that we should be moving on. Perhaps there are circumstances making your grief more complex such as sudden death, a preceding illness, the age of the deceased, a miscarriage, or an abortion. We may even think that we have exhausted all the possibilities available to us, and that others no longer want to join us in reliving the life of the person we have lost.
The obvious but sobering truth is that life will never be same. However, bereavement therapy is available to support you through the grief process. Grief takes as long as it takes. Learning to live with loss is different for everyone. This journey occurs at a gentle pace that is right for you, enabling you to move through loss and recovery to a different life.
Other feelings of loss that significantly impact on our quality of life include the loss of a relationship or friendship, diminished health, job loss, or the loss of a pet.
We do not tell you what to do, but as with all other forms of psychological therapy, we work with you on alternative perspectives and options that can be available in adjusting to life without your loved one. Sometimes this adjustment may take the form of repositioning the lost person in your life, or thoughts, so that you feel that you are moving forward with them, rather than leaving them behind.
Seeking support is a strength and not a weakness!
“You have to accept whatever comes, and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)