Grief & Loss

What is grief and loss?
Grief is an emotional reaction to a loss or change in someone’s life. It involves a person adapting to a change, such as a death, divorce, diagnosis of an illness, loss of a job, or any life transition. Grief is a way to deal with and process something difficult or unexpected. It is a normal process that practically everyone goes through at some time in their lives.  Each person grieves in their own way.

How do I know if I am grieving?
When a person is grieving, they are typically experiencing a deep sadness. They can isolate themselves, become angry or tearful, have difficulty sleeping, and find it difficult to complete daily tasks.

Other signs may include:
Some people deal with grief by denying the loss or change that occurred. They might try to deal with their sadness by acting as if things are the same as they have always been. This prevents them from feeling that overwhelming pain they wish to avoid. Everyone grieves in their own way and for different amounts of time. Grieving can sometimes take long periods of time to process and get through.

How can seeing a Psychologist help?
In counseling or therapy, a psychologist can help a grieving person talk about the loss, process any emotions related to the situation, and eventually understand ways that they can progress through the grieving stages. Some people have more difficulty grieving than others and may require further treatment in order to get through the change or loss they experienced.