Coping with Grief

Men, women and children respond differently to grief but the most important thing to remember is that most reactions are normal.  On the other hand there are times when loved ones can find these responses so overwhelming, painful and difficult to cope with to the extent that he/she cannot function in their day to day life (such as commit to work, withdrawing from social situations and relationships).

Take a moment to identify the grief and loss responses you may be experiencing:

Behavioural

• Sleep disruptions
• Lack of motivation
• Crying
• Social withdrawal
• Acting out behaviour (gambling, drinking)

Everyone grieves differently and it is the role of community to support and strengthen connections during times of distress.

Emotional Responses:

Shock and disbelief
After a loss, it can be hard to accept what happened. You may feel numb and struggle to accept the truth
Sadness
Deep sadness includes feelings of emptiness, despair and loneliness.
Guilt
You may regret or feel guilty about things you did or didn’t say or do.
Anger
One can feel angry and resentful at oneself, God, the doctors, or even the person with strong feelings that an injustice that was done.
Fear
Loss can trigger a cycle of worries and fears that can compound with feeling anxious, helpless, or insecure. You may even have panic attacks.

How Glen Eira Counselling clinicians can help you?

For some people, feelings of loss are so strong they don’t improve after time passes.   As trained grief and trauma counsellors we offer an assessment and approach to therapy that takes into account the many grief factors while being sensitive to the healing process.  As experienced therapists, we recognise there are times when trauma and loss impact on one’s neurophysiology.  It is at such times when coping mechanisms struggle to adjust to the enormity of the loss.

If you aren’t feeling better over time, or your grief is getting worse, now is the time to seek professional help.