Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. It reminds us that our loss is important and must be acknowledged in our own unique way.
You may associate grief with the death of a loved one, and this type of loss does often cause the most intense grief. But any loss can cause grief, including:
- A relationship breakup
- Loss of health
- Losing a job
- Loss of financial stability
- A miscarriage
- Death of a pet
- Loss of a cherished dream
- A loved one’s serious illness
- Loss of a friendship
- Loss of safety after a trauma
Grief and bereavement is a very individual experience, and refuses to conform to a particular pattern or length of time. Over time people can find that grief dissipates and they are able to get on with their life. However, there are times when we find ourselves stuck in our grief, unable to move on and function in our normal ways.
Maybe you can relate to some of these statements:
“I feel like life isn’t worth living”
“I wish I had died with my loved one”
“I blame myself for the loss or for failing to prevent it”
“I feel numb and disconnected from others”
“I'm having difficulty trusting others since my loss”
“I'm unable to perform my normal daily activities”
Through grief and loss or bereavement counselling you can give expression to your feelings so they become less intense, implement strategies to manage difficult emotions, plan ahead to cope with grief triggers like anniversaries, birthdays and milestones. You will also learn to feel more settled and grounded and experience an improved level of physical well being.
Call Colleen now on 0434 337 245 for a free 10 minute consultation on how she can help you, or book online here.