Feeling sad is very common. We all feel it on a regular basis. But grief is an intense emotion that one experiences when they lose something or someone of significance to them. The loss could be of someone close to you due to death or separation otherwise, an object of personal significance, job, loss of financial stability, loss of health, retirement etc. Coping with this loss can be extremely difficult for some, and the pain experienced due to this loss, overwhelming.
There is no one correct method of grieving. Everyone has their own process of grieving. However, some might user healthier ways to grieve the loss and overcome the pain than others. Doing so would require the following:
- Acknowledge and accept the loss.
- Understand that the loss can trigger a varied array of emotions and thoughts.
- Recognize that grieving process is unique for everyone.
- Seek the support of the people around you to help you cope with the loss.
- Understand the difference between grief and depression.
The most famous theory on Grief has been proposed by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross in 1969. According to her, people experiencing grief might follow the progression of stages given below. However, not everyone might go through each stage or in the specific order. :
- Denial
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
Although we all experience grief at some point in our lives, it is important to realize when this grief has such a debilitating effect on our lives that it becomes complicated grief or depression. Complicated grief is when one’s grief becomes the center stage of their life, overtaking all other aspects of functioning. As a result, one is unable to resume functioning normally. While depression and grief share a lot of symptoms, grief is an amalgamation of more than one emotion. Unlike depression, it involves both good and bad days. psychologist also help you Coping up with Grief