“After the pain of parting comes the happiness of healing; rediscovering life, friends, self. Joy. from ‘How to survive the loss of love’ (Bloomflield,Colgrove & McWilliams)
Grief is the emotional and physical reaction that occurs in response to a ‘loss’.
Most commonly people think about grief as occurring following the death of a loved one however we can also experience grief following the loss of a relationship, job or injury.
Grief is characterised by deep sadness, anger, disbelief, confusion and a yearning to be with that person again in the case of the death of a loved one. The death of a loved one is one of the most significant stresses experienced and bereaved individuals are at higher risk of mental health problems such as depression and substance abuse.
Every person’s experience of grief is unique and ‘not knowing’ what to expect, or how you ‘should’ be acting of feeling is a very normal concern. Although ‘grief’ is a normal human experience, it is an extremely painful period where adjustments can take months or years.
A psychologist’s role is to assist you to manage your grief thoughts and emotions so that
you may adapt to your loss and continue to live a meaningful life.