Understanding Grief: Growing through Loss

Grief isn’t an easy response to loss, especially since loss can come at you in different forms in your life.

There are various examples of how grief can impact you and why coping may not be the most comfortable thing to do, but the more you learn to grow through loss, the easier it can be to understand what’s next in your path.

Types of grief – Some examples of how individuals experience grief vary. So I listed a few reasons below, including:

• • Death of a loved one

• • A breakup

• • Loss of friendship

• • Losing a job/moving careers

• • Moving away

• • A negative change to your health/ the health of someone you know

• • A miscarriage

• • An abortion

• • Loss of innocence through trauma

• • Loss of a pet

• • Selling your possessions, e.g. a home/car

If you’ve ever felt like you lost something that caused you suffering, you shouldn’t feel ashamed of it. It can be easy to compare your feelings of sadness to someone else and not see the value in that individual’s trauma because you can’t empathise with them. But they are still going through it, big or small, as are you.

Living with grief can be another hurdle in itself. There are different ways people handle a loss, so if you feel like you need to cry it out, then do it! Someone else might feel like they can’t cry or need a moment to themselves to process what’s going on.

Mental health professionals have discussed a few phases of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. You might not go through all these intense emotions or go through each one at a different stage in your life. It can be so easy for us to think we’re in a good space and end up spiralling because of a traumatic experience like a loss.

So I think it’s important to understand that although you might be going through deep emotions now as a response to what you’re grieving. The more time you take to acknowledge that you may need support, you may need to change your perception of the situation or take some time out for yourself. The better it will be on your mental health.

Dealing with grief isn’t straightforward, but addressing you’re not feeling like yourself is a great start!

You may have good and bad days, but choosing ways to improve the latter can help you grow with grief through your emotional responses. As someone who has experienced multi-facets of loss, I know it’s not the nicest thing to have on the back or front of your mind!

 

In my opinion, having space to think can help. Speaking to loved ones helps, and connecting with God absolutely helps! I believe life will throw curve balls at you, and how you respond to them, positively or negatively, will impact the person you’re set to be!

Grief isn’t easy. But understanding it’s a process that takes time to digest can make the journey a little less unsettling in your daily lives.

I hope these words helped give you an insight into one of the most fragile feelings. If you’d like to understand more, contact me through my email or socials. Don’t let this type of loss define you, but help mould you into a stronger person on your grief journey.

Seraphina x