What is grief?
Grief is the emotion you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. It could be triggered by loss of a friend or family member, death of a pet, a divorce or relationship breakdown, or loss of health, job or financial stability.
While grief is a normal response to loss, people respond in different ways and, for some, it can last for a long time and cause a lot of stress and upset.
What are the symptoms?
- Shock and disbelief
- Longing for the thing you’ve lost
- Sadness that the person or item you have lost is no longer here
- Anger or resentment because you feel abandoned
- Guilt about being unable to save that person or because you are still here while they are not
- Anxiety about the future
- Constantly thinking about the person or thing you’ve lost
- Difficulty concentrating and remembering things
- Changes to your sleep pattern and appetite
- Physical responses such as headaches, tiredness, muscle aches and nausea
How can you manage the symptoms?
- Acknowledge your loss and that you need to take time to grieve
- Talk to friends and family about your loss
- Learn more about the stages of grief
- Do things that make you feel happier such as exercise, meeting friends, cooking, dancing or anything you’re good at doing
- Avoid eating too much junk food or drinking too much alcohol
- Make sure you’re getting enough sleep
- Anticipate times or events that may be difficult (such as Christmas, birthdays or anniversaries) and make a plan for coping with these
- Set small targets so you don’t overwhelm yourself when you try to do something
- Focus on helping yourself feel better rather than dwelling on things you can’t change
You can find help on coping with grief at the Cruse Bereavement Care website or by calling their helpline on 0808 808 1677.
