When somebody close to us dies, the aftermath of their death for the ones left behind can be hugely painful and distressing. Both mourning and grieving when somebody dies are completely normal processes, and people can experience them in different ways. If you feel like you are not coping after the death of a loved one we can help to guide you through your emotions and reassure you throughout the process.
Grief vs. Mourning
The processes of grief and mourning are different and can often be mistaken for each other. Grief is the normal internal feeling one experiences in reaction to a loss. It often refers to the death of someone or something close to you whether it is a friend, relative or pet. Mourning deals more with how you react to your loss and your outward expression. While grief is a universal phenomenon, mourning is determined by one’s religion, culture, family or societal backgrounds. The stress of bereavement can be immense for whoever experiences it.
Research has shown that it is common that bereaved people will experience an anxiety disorder during the first year after the death of a loved one, so if you are grieving it is important that you are not alone. We mustn’t ignore that even the decision to put down a pet can put significant stress on the owner and the family members. Feelings of guilt and regret can sometimes feel hard to endure and can add greatly to the grieving process.
The Process Of Grief
Many people want to know what is considered ‘normal’ in these processes but there is no one way to grieve or mourn the loss of a loved one and every individual’s experience is unique. However, if the processes go on for a notably long period of time, or start to affect your mental health then there can sometimes be a cause for concern. Serious symptoms of grief occur when the grieving process is experienced for a longer amount of time. It can start to affect the mental and physical health of the bereaved, and in some cases can lead to depression, posttraumatic stress or ‘complicated grief’ where the reaction to a loss lasts longer than a year.
You can end up suffering the loss of sleep, appetite, weight, concentration or energy levels which then may end up affecting your work life or relationships with friends and family. It is important that these risks are avoided during the mourning process and that you deal with your grief in a healthy way. Talking to someone about what you’re going through can often help when the time is right.
Taking care of your psychical and mental wellbeing, through eating well and exercising can have a positive effect on the way you feel, releasing the endorphins your brain needs to feel happier. Symptoms of grief that are considered more ‘normal’ and well known include:
- Anger
- Denial
- Shock
- Guilt
- Acceptance
Depending on how the person died, we can feel one of these emotions more intensely than the others, but they are all common and you shouldn’t be concerned if you are experiencing any of these feelings shortly after your loved one has passed away. Talking to a medium with access to the spirit world can help you through the grieving process and lead you to the acceptance of your loved one’s death.
Psychic Light
At Psychic Light, we have many experienced and professional readers who can help guide you through the grieving process. They will do their utmost to lift your spirits, to bring you some sense of closure so that you can begin to accept what has happened in your own time and find peace once again.
Posted: 20/06/2012
Related Category: Lifestyle
