Understanding Grief

What is Grief

Grief is not merely an emotional experience. It may include physical, spiritual, social, and even cognitive symptoms as well. Because every person's loss is unique, each individual 's grieving and healing processes will also be different. The following include only some of the common reactions to grief:

Emotional and psychological reactions:

mood swings where feelings change quickly and may be more intense than previously
difficulty believing that the loss has occurred
feeling the need to talk about the loss over and over again

Physical symptoms include:

tightness in the throat, heaviness in the chest, or feeling nauseous
difficulty sleeping or awakening very early
lack of energy

Spiritual discomfort:

questioning "why" this loss happened without finding an answer that explains or comforts; feeling angry at God or others
experiencing personal guilt and regret surrounding the loss

Social responses:

feeling awkwardness with others who have not experienced a loss
feeling isolated and uncomfortable in social situations where everyone is expected to be happy and celebrating

Cognitive symptoms are most unexpected:

forgetfulness
lack of concentration

People also have many misconceptions that we call myths about grief.