Grief: You’re Not Alone
Having crossed the loss of 500,000 Americans on February 22, 2021 the entire country started taking time to mourn. Grief is difficult. It’s at the core of our human condition. It is also very closely tied to love. The deeper we loved the person we lost, the deeper the grief.
Grief is the natural reaction or response to loss, especially of a loved one in which a bond or affection was formed. Some examples of loss associated with strong feelings of grief include the death of a loved one, leaving home, illness, or job loss. Regardless of where the sorrow stems from, you may find yourself feeling numb, empty, and unable to carry on with your daily routine. At times, you may be suffering from grief and not even be aware of it. When overwhelmed with these negative thoughts or experiencing grief, the way we overcome it is by first addressing the grief.
Typically the stages of grief start with denial, where we doubt the reality of our loss. Then comes anger, an explosion of powerful emotions, and irritability. However, this anger is purposeful. It leads to bargaining or the way we hold onto hope when facing the pain. Afterward, we tend to experience depression. This is a natural and appropriate response to grief. It builds us up to overcome. There isn’t any right way to go through it and there is no deadline to conquer it. And finally, we arrive at acceptance. It isn’t about being OK from what occurred. You might never be ok with what happened and that’s perfectly fine. Focus on how you acknowledge your loss and how you reorient your life moving on.
There is no need to rush. Although we want to jump back into our lives as quickly as possible, do not be afraid to take time to heal yourself. Even while understanding you are suffering, no one has control of the grieving process.
Often while unraveling all of our emotions while trying to stick to a normal routine, we forgot to prioritize ourselves and calibrate our lives to what we’re currently capable of. Keep in mind that it’s ok to pause. It’s ok to give yourself a break and let others around you aware of this so that you are given the right amount of time you need to cope with your emotions.
Grief is one of the most difficult emotions, but remember that you’re not in this alone.
Resources
at 14 minutes 44 seconds into the podcast, Tina provides a guided meditation to help cope with grief
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline – 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
Grief Counseling
https://www.betterhelp.com/
https://www.talkspace.com/
By Shreya Kondapallli, Writer for Feelalytics
Hi, I'm Shreya! I am a senior at the University of Florida pursuing a bachelor's degree in Psychology and minoring in Computer Sciences.
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