Coping with grief and loss

We will all experience grief in our own way; however, there are some feelings and reactions that many people experience, these include:

• Feeling numb
• Feeling very tearful one minute then not being able to cry the next
• Anger towards the situation or towards others
• Anxiety to leave the house or to see people you know
• Feeling guilty and trying to blame yourself that somehow you could have prevented their death
• Challenges towards your faith and/or beliefs
• Loneliness, depression or feelings of not being able to cope
• Abandonment- How dare they leave, what will you do now?
• Low motivation for doing anything, even taking basic care of yourself can feel like a huge challenge.
• Thinking you can hear them or forgetting that they’ve gone, then suddenly realising the truth

Grieving is a gradual process that can take a long time; it is important that you give yourself time to process what has happened and take care of yourself during this time.

Grief can come in waves, you may feel okay one minute and then very low the next, or have good days and bad days. Sometimes if you have had a challenging relationship with the person who has died it can be more, not less, difficult - you may be grieving the relationship you wish you’d had, as well as the person who has died.

If you feel like you are in need of further help with your mental health, please do reach out to your GP who will be able to listen to your feelings and assess your needs appropriately.