All You Need to Know about Grief

Unfourtanetly, I am sure we have all had to deal with some type of traumatic loss in our lives. Whether it is the breakup of a friendship, relationship, pet, a job, or someone in our family passes away. It is a sad and unavoidable part of life.

So.. what exactly is grief? Grief is the response to the loss, particularly to the loss of someone or some living thing that has died, to which a bond or affection was formed. Emotional as well as physical responses can occur as a result of this.

There is no right or wrong way to grieve, but we can try to find healthier ways to cope.

Grief can feel very overwhelming and isolating at times. I have dealt with this a few times when I lost grandparents that I was very close to and some relationships that just didn’t work out after giving them my all.

You can also start to see changes in your sleep, and eating as a result, which causes you to not even be able to think straight.

It is important for us to remember that we suffered the loss and can handle it in our own ways and take as much time as we need to heal; although, healing isn’t linear. The cliche saying “it takes time” really is what happens but when you are in the thick of it, it feels like you will never feel better and get over the loss.

We have to try to show the same grace and patience we show to others to ourselves and remember that we are human and it’s going to take us time to process our emotions after what has just happened to us.

From my own personal experiences, I know that trying to ignore the pain or easing it with partying, alcohol, or distractions might work at the moment but this isn’t a long-term fix.

We are also told to “stay strong” and that crying makes you weak, but sometimes we need to let it out and not feel embarrassed or ashamed of it. Showing emotions is okay and healthy; it doesn’t make you weak.

There is no specific timeline to grief and if you continue to move on with your life, you shouldn’t feel guilty or that you are over the loss, but you also have to try your best to continue moving forward no matter what.

Some of the best coping mechanisms I have learned through therapy are:

1. Acknowledge the loss/pain and don’t just avoid it or try to pretend that it doesn’t exist.

2. Understand and know how to journal/talk through trigers when they come up.

3. Try to seek help whether it’s talking to a friend, family member, or therapist, and know that it is okay to ask for help and that you are not alone.

4. Try your best to take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally

5. Know that grief can be a roller coaster and some days/moments are worse than others and that is okay-this too shall pass.

Unfourtanetly, I am currently going through the beginning stages of the grieving process unexpectedly and out of nowhere with someone, I was dating and very sure about. I feel like I am still very much in denial/shock and almost becoming numb to the situation at this point so I know I will have a long/complicated battle ahead. It will not be easy and when I feel like I want to give up, I know that I must try to find the strength within myself to carry on and know that everything will be okay in the end <3

If this helped you in any way or if you know someone that can use this reminder, please comment, subscribe, and share with a friend. Thank you so much always warriors xoxo