Everyone responds differently with a loss they have experienced. Grief is an emotion that can be expressed in various ways and is an emotion to loss. Experiencing a loss can result to suffering one may feel when someone or something that is important to you or you love is taken away.
Grief and loss can bring up emotions that may be new in how you respond to them. There is no one way to respond to grief and though each individual may respond differently, one way is not the “right” or “appropriate” way. However, understanding why that person is responding in that manner can be helpful in understanding them as a person and what they may need in that moment. For example: One may be in complete shock and may begin laughing instead of crying. Understanding that maybe that laugh could be because they are in shock, it took them by surprise, or maybe they are in disbelief, maybe they are not ready to face the loss, therefore, will laugh or maybe the loss or grief makes them feel uncomfortable so laughing could be their response. In this example, asking the individual, why they are laughing can help you get a response that you may begin to understand their reaction. This is important in knowing how to help someone else when grieving and also knowing that everyone responds differently and those responses can change overtime.
Loss can show up in various ways and usually is associated with death. However, loss can occur when going through a divorce or relationship breakup. It can occur when losing a job, losing health, miscarriage, and loss of a dream. There are many more that can be associated with loss and can go through the grieving process.
Coping with loss is a challenge because it is personal to you and though it may not seem that significant to someone else, it was or is significant to you and that is important.
There are healthy ways to cope with the pain that you or your loved one is going through. Utilizing appropriate and healthy coping mechanisms can ease the grief and allow you to work your way to acceptance of the loss while finding new meaning in order to continue to move forward.
Understanding the stages of grief can help you and a loved one understand the process of grief. No one gets to tell you if you are grieving right or wrong because there is no such thing. Various factors come into play with each individual on how they may grieve and how long it may take to with the process. Each person has different personalities and styles, therefore, no one can tell you how long it would take to grieve. The cycle will remain the same but reactions may vary.
There are numerous ways to cope when grieving, but here are just a few that you can add in your toolbox:
Acknowledge The Loss & Your Pain
This will be the most difficult but the most important. Once you are able to acknowledge the loss and the pain you are going through, you will be able to identify what you can use to ease the pain. Healing begins when you have accepted what is going on and what has occurred. Therefore, this is most essential in beginning your healing journey.
Talk About What You Are Grieving
When you talk about what you are grieving you are allowing yourself to understand and come to terms with what has occurred and what you are going through. This also gives you a chance to remember what you have lost and prevent avoidance by being around your loved ones while you are grieving.
Celebrate Your Loved Ones Life
Celebrating your loved ones life can be helpful in remembering them for who they were. You can cook their favorite foods, watch their favorite tv shows, listen to the music they liked and so many more ways that you can celebrate their life to remember who they were and what they stood for.
Seek Out Support
Remember not everyone grieves the same way. It can be discouraging when you may have seen someone else overcome their grief more quickly than you and you may still feel that it is never ending. Remembering that your grieving process is unique to you can help you to accept the process that is occurring. That does not mean anything and everyone’s process will look different and be different. However, seeking out support can make a big difference and add benefits to helping you feel better.
