Grief is the human response to change and loss of life, such as the death of someone we love. It is a natural and normal response and has a physical impact on our bodies as well as on our emotions and thought. Grief challenges the way we think about the world and ourselves and influences our spirituality and our relationships.
There are so many different types of grief. Here are some of the most well-known, and often experienced, types of grief.
Normal Grief
In a normal reaction of grief, the person feels sad, may have trouble sleeping, and may have trouble performing their usual tasks. These symptoms resolve in a couple of months, as there is gradual weaning from the loved one s remembered experiences. The availability of family and close friends during this period can be extremely helpful. This period of grief or mourning is a normal, useful adjustment to a loved one’s loss and should not be discouraged.
Traumatic /Complicated Grief
Traumatic grief occurs when there is an unexpected loss, such as sudden loss of a child or any close person or friend or any shocking accident, suicide or murder, whether directly experienced or not, can result in traumatic grief. This can occur when a severe grief reaction lasts longer than 2 months, or when a loved one has died and you did not have the normal mourning process. Traumatic grief can have profound and lasting negative effects on the lives of sufferers and their relationships.
For understanding Grief Counselling in a better way. Let us check this story.
Story of Neha…
This is the story of Neha, who was very close to her husband. They were childhood sweethearts. When her husband, Nitin, died at the age of 45 from a sudden and unexpected heart attack, she cried out and yelled when the doctor told her that they had done everything possible, but that he had not survived.
In her home, Neha sat in stunned silence. She had two children to take care of; all by herself, now. She cried to sleep for a week every night. However, Neha had to look after the inheritance of her husband, and all the legal problems that followed a spouse s death. Sadly, she could not just crawl into a cave for a while and forget about life. She now had to take care of her children and raise them as one single mother.
Neha’s sister mentioned that she might benefit from seeing a counsellor for her grief. Neha was quick to take up the suggestion as she felt her friends were sick to hear about her misery and yet she was not ready to stop despairing. She had to think about Nitin, she had to think about her sadness and she had to cry. Neha met her grief counselor, Rina for the first time about three weeks after Nitin’s death and she continued to see her, each week, for about 2 months.
During this time, Neha s sleeping patterns calmed down, and she gradually became used to sleeping alone in her bed. While it took her a long time to feel normal in a social situation, she found that she was able to find joy in her children and even go out to dinner with her friends now and again, and with Rina’s encouragement, Neha was finally able to remove Nitin’s clothes from her home. It was symbolic of Neha, as it helped bring her a sense of closure. Neha gave a lot of Nitin s stuff to his brothers or to charitable organizations for people who might need it more than she did now. Neha found that she would eventually be able to look back on her life with Nitin from happy perspective.
Neha found that seeing a grief counsellor within a few weeks of losing Nitin helped her overcome the initial shock and adjust to a new life without him. Neha found grief counselling valuable because it allowed her to reveal her emotions and talk about her loss in an environment separate from her family and friends. In the counselling room, Neha felt able to talk freely about her fears of a life without Nitin – fear for her children, fear of financial insecurity, and fear of loneliness. Rina listened with empathy and without judgment. She helped Neha make sense of her emotions, and she gave her professional insights as well as emotional support, to heal from her grief.
Frequently Asked Questions
Grief is the agony felt following a severe loss, most often the passing of a dearly loved one.
Physical discomfort, separation anxiety, bewilderment, longing, excessive thinking about the
past, and fear of the future are all common symptoms of grief.
Recognize your suffering, acknowledge that loss can elicit a wide range of unexpected
emotions, and realize that your mourning process will be individual to you.
A person can usually get over loss on their own over time provided they have healthy
behaviours and social support, according to a study. After a loss, recovery could take many
months or even a full year. There is no "normal" time period for someone to go through
grieving.
Medication along with psychotherapy has been found to be helpful in dealing with grief.
Grief therapy is one of the effective therapies for people undergoing grief. Medications
should only be taken after consulting a doctor.
Cognitive behaviour therapy for grieving works by assisting you in being aware of your
maladaptive thought patterns. These tendencies may result in actions that make it
challenging to deal with sadness.
Patients can talk about their lost loved ones in a safe setting with the support of a qualified
therapist, which can help them stay connected to the person they've lost.
An average year or more passes during the grieving phase. Adapting to the loss of a loved one's loss requires a person who is grieving to deal with the emotional turmoil and
lifestyle changes that result. Even while the anguish may eventually lessen, it's usual to
feel emotionally tied to the deceased for a long time.
Undoubtedly, the bereavement process requires time, and healing takes place gradually.
There is no set time line for settlement because no one can compel or rush the process.
Others might not feel better for months or even years, while a few individuals will recover in a few weeks.