Many people would probably tell you that grief occurs following the death of a family member or close friend.  But grief and loss are not only limited to the death of a loved one. Grief can come at the hands of a broken relationship, the loss of a job, the death of a pet, or a disabling injury or disease. The bottom line is that if you’ve lost someone or something that was an important part of your life, you may experience debilitating grief as a result.

What are the symptoms of grief?

There’s no handbook for how someone should grieve and everyone does so differently after a loss. While some bottle it up, others are paralyzed by the onslaught of grief, making it difficult for them to function on a daily basis.

Each loss is unique to us as the griever and there are often emotions, thoughts and physical sensations that we experience as we live into the terrain of grief. Some of the subjects my clients often discuss with me are:

• Shock

• Hopelessness

• Questioning Values

• Sleep Disturbances

• Regrets

• Guilt

• Overwhelm

• Searching

• Crying

• Role Changes

• Need for Normalcy

• Loneliness and isolating behaviors

• Questioning Long Held Beliefs

• Fear

• Forgiveness

• Detached from others

Many components of grief often mimic depression and can turn into a depressive episode if left unresolved.

Every grieving experience is different. A person may be able to continue their day-to-day routine after one loss, yet not be able to get out of bed after the loss of someone else. Whatever your personal symptoms are, grief and loss counseling have been proven to help.