It is only natural that we, as humans, experience a sense of pain after a significant loss such as death of a loved one—this response is called Grief. It can take on many shapes and forms.
Even whilst going through a similar loss, people can have a very different experience of grief.
Usually, the intensity of negative emotions related to grief decrease as time passes on. However, it is pivotal to accept, experience, and process one’s grief. Often, avoidance of grief comes naturally and may even be one’s own way of adapting to the loss, yet it is crucial to experience grief. Deliberately avoiding emotions and thoughts related to grief can lead to poor functioning in our daily lives and prevent adaptation to the loss in the long run. Research shows that it can also increase the chances of recurrent intrusive thoughts in the future.
There’s no denying that working through one’s grief does take time. Some things that aid in the processing of grief are;
Accepting your emotions- To process your grief, it becomes important to first accept your feelings. These feelings can be of varied nature like experiencing sadness, anger, guilt, exhaustion, and vulnerability.
Talking about your loss- Social support from those around us becomes crucial. Remembering fond memories of the departed and honoring one’s relationship with them helps in the expression of grief.
Taking care of your physical health- Eating healthy, getting sunlight, and drinking plenty of water are daily tasks that can seem difficult during the process of grieving. However, it is important to take care of your basic needs during this time.
With the passage of time, grief will eventually not be as dominant. This does not mean that it has ended, but only that it has changed. However, sometimes it can become pathological in nature. As per the World Health Organization (WHO; 2015), specialists such as psychologists should be consulted for grief that lasts for more than 6 months.
Everything considered it becomes important to remember that every individual has their own unique experiences with grief and the process may not always be linear. It is crucial to take one’s own time to process the loss.
Importance of Professional Counseling: A friend or family member may listen to you, but they aren’t professionally, technically qualified or experienced to offer you professional advice. If you wish you can contact us at MindTribe to receive help from our team of expert psychologists.
About MindTribe.in.
MindTribe Founder Dr. Prerna Kohli, India’s eminent psychologist, established the company to leverage the strength of the online to make counseling affordable and accessible to everyone. MindTribe provides counseling, workshops, support groups, forums, and eLearning.
About the Author.
Tanishka Israni is a psychologist at MindTribe.in. You can learn more about her by clicking here
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MindTribe.in, the Founders, or management team.
Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.