Grief and Loss

What is Grief?

Although grief is generally associated with the death of a person or animal, it has a much broader meaning. Grief refers to a deep sorrow or sadness caused by loss, suffering or disappointment. A person can feel a deep sense of loss whenever an event or situation drastically changes their lifestyle, or they haven’t achieved what they had set their heart on eg.

Death of a loved one
Loss of family pet
Relationship conflict
Separation/divorce
Loss of one’s job
Loss of promotion
Injury or other medical problem causing loss of normal quality of life
Child leaving home (often referred to as the ‘Empty Nest Syndrome’)

Grief can be emotionally painful for men, women and children.

Homesickness is a form of grief not widely recognised as such in the general community yet it can cause extreme distress to those who yearn for family, friends and lifestyle in their “old” country, state, or suburb. Seek Help Early to Avoid Deepening Depressed Mood – Inquire Now. If you find yourself feeling so ‘down’ that it is difficult to function on a day to day basis, Phone Me Now on 9300 6026 to help you.

Common Symptoms of Grief

Loss of appetite or overeating
Difficulty sleeping
Lack of concentration
Difficulty making everyday decisions
Moodiness, irritability, sadness, or depressed
Headaches or other aches and pains
Little interest in life generally

People may also experience:

Everyone is different so please be aware of your own symptoms and seek help early. Please call me on 9300 6026. I am here to help you.

People Grieve Differently

Adult males, females and children may grieve in their own personal way. Understanding these differences can help their greiving process. For some, crying is quite a healthy expression of grief as it releases built-up tension but needs to be monitored over forthcoming weeks as this could be a sign of pending depression. But not everyone cries, some may bottle up their feelings and not know how to express how they feel, if you are concerned, please seek help early. It is possible too that a person may return to their normal life quite quickly following a personal loss and feel that they have coped very well only to find that a few months (or even a few years) later, symptoms of grief may surface.

Common Myths About Grief

If a person appears to be reasonably happy and coping OK on the “outside” it is often assumed by those around them that they are coping well with their grief and loss. Not So! A grieving person may be able to put on a brave face for the outside world but inwardly they are often being torn apart by feelings of:

Another myth is that the grieving stage should last only 3 months or 6 months, or 12 months, etc. Grief knows no time restraints. For some the feelings of Grief do heal with time but may re-surface again for a short while as an anniversary or a special event comes around, rekindling old memories. For others there is no respite, their grief deepens and plunges them into despair – they struggle to adjust to their personal loss. Recovering from grief can be a painful process of healing. Seek help early – contact me now to avoid your depressed mood deepening into despair.