Grief, Loss and Bereavement

What is Grief?

Grief is the interest owed on the debt of attachment (Yalom)

Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. It can be a strong, sometimes overwhelming emotion, regardless of where it stems from.

You might find yourself feeling numb and removed from daily life, unable to carry on with regular duties. It is both a universal and a personal experience. Individual experiences of grief vary and are influenced by the nature of the loss. Some examples of loss include the death of a loved one, the ending of an important relationship, miscarriage, job loss, loss through theft, or the loss of independence through disability.

Understanding why you’re suffering can help, as can talking to others and trying to resolve issues that cause significant emotional pain, such as feeling guilty.

Mourning can last for months or years. Generally, pain is tempered as time passes and you adapt to a new way of life.

What are the signs of grief?

Signs of grief often overlap with those found in depression, although those with grief are more likely to understand the reason for why they feel the way they do compared to those with other types of clinical depression.

Signs include:

• Feeling down, depressed, hopeless
• Thinking / feeling like you’ve let yourself or others down.
• Social withdrawal / isolation
• Loss of interest in things you previously enjoyed
• Feeling tired or like you don’t have much energy or motivation.
• Disrupted sleep (struggling to get to sleep, waking in the night, struggling to wake up).
• Increased or decreased appetite.
• Poor concentration or recall.
• Feeling slowed down in your thinking and movements.
• Loss of interest in sex.
• Thinking that you don’t want to be here anymore, or about harming yourself.

Online therapy and treatment for managing grief

There are many effective ways to manage grief, including: ACT, EMDR, compassion- focused therapy (CFT), and PCT. Several of our online therapists are trained in these approaches and highly experienced in helping people manage grief. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to arrange an initial assessment session.

You may also wish to look at our resources page for further ideas of getting help to manage symptoms of depression.