Common symptoms of grief

[michellep]

Common symptoms of grief

While loss affects people in different ways, many people experience the following symptoms when they’re grieving. Just remember that almost anything that you experience in the early stages of grief is normal – including feeling like you’re going crazy, feeling like you’re in a bad dream, or questioning your religious beliefs.

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Shock and disbelief – Right after a loss, it can be hard to accept what happened. You may feel numb, have trouble believing that the loss really happened, or even deny the truth. If someone you love has died, you may keep expecting them to show up, even though you know they’re gone.

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Sadness – Profound sadness is probably the most universally experienced symptom of grief. You may have feelings of emptiness, despair, yearning, or deep loneliness. You may also cry a lot or feel emotionally unstable.

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Guilt – You may regret or feel guilty about things you did or didn’t say or do. You may also feel guilty about certain feelings (e.g. feeling relieved when the person died after a long, difficult illness). After a death, you may even feel guilty for not doing something to prevent the death, even if there was nothing more you could have done.

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Anger – Even if the loss was nobody’s fault, you may feel angry and resentful. If you lost a loved one, you may be angry at yourself, God, the doctors, or even the person who died for abandoning you. You may feel the need to blame someone for the injustice that was done to you.

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Fear – A significant loss can trigger a host of worries and fears. You may feel anxious, helpless, or insecure. You may even have panic attacks. The death of a loved one can trigger fears about your own mortality, of facing life without that person, or the responsibilities you now face alone.

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Physical symptoms – We often think of grief as a strictly emotional process, but grief often involves physical problems, including fatigue, nausea, lowered immunity, weight loss or weight gain, aches and pains, and insomnia.

[lilyjohn]

It seems like in our conversations we have covered most of those things doesn't it?

One thing that they don't tell you is that those feelings will come and go for a lot longer than most people believe. They also talk about the stages of grief but although there are different stages of grief they don't always run in sequence.

I think the most important thing to remember is that however you grieve or how long you grieve it is the right way. you are not different or deranged or just plain crazy. Grief does something to us that we can't stop. One thing I do want to remind you of is that you do have to grieve. Putting it off doesn't make it any easier, if anything it makes it harder when you do grieve.

I am sure there are many here who will tell you that on some days you just need to let the tears fall. Get angry and scream or throw things. Do whatever your grieve dictates and never be ashamed or let someone tell you that you need to get over it. You don't get over it , you get through the worst of it and then learn to live with what is left.