What is Grief?
Grief has been described as a piece of the lifelong journey. It is the thoughts, feelings and meaning given to a person’s experience when someone they love dies. Each person’s experience will be influenced by a variety of factors, including:
- Relationship with the deceased
- Circumstances surrounding the death
- Grieving person’s support system
- Cultural and spiritual background
“Grief instructs us in the healing art of profound acceptance.” —Molly Fumia
How You Might Be Feeling
In times of loss, it is helpful to know that the reactions you are experiencing are natural and healthy. While each person experiences grief differently, you may find comfort knowing that others share similar loss responses. You may experience grief in some of the following ways:
- Physically
- Emotionally
- Mentally
- Spiritually
- Behaviorally
- Socially
Path to Healing
Each person has an individual style of coping with painful experiences. There is no right way to grieve and no specific time table. Grieving is a process. The list below may help you generate ideas for managing your feelings of grief:
- Be kind and patient with yourself
- Accept your feelings
- Seek information about grief
- Care for your physical self with good nutrition, exercise and rest
- Be flexible in your routine
- Tell your story; write about your feelings
- Seek good listeners
- Honor and remember your loved one
- Involve yourself in work or meaningful activity
- Identify important dates that may be difficult, and plan ahead
- Begin to create goals and meaning in your life
- Embrace your spirituality
Normal Manifestations of Grief
- Loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea
- Feeling of emptiness in the stomach
- Lump in the throat
- Tightness in the chest
- Inability to sleep, early morning awakening and/or fatigue
- Grinding the teeth during sleep
- Dryness of the mouth
- Inability to concentrate, forgetfulness regarding what is being done in the middle of a task, forgetting what is being said in the middle of a sentence
- Loss of time perception
- Difficulty with remembering or maintaining a schedule
- Sense of loneliness and feeling of social isolation
- Overwhelming sense of sadness
- Longing for life to return to the way it was
- Crying at unanticipated times
- Oversensitivity to noise
- Breathlessness, frequent sighing
- Experience occasions of resentment that “life goes on” for others
- Hear, smell, see loved one, particularly in familiar settings
- Need to often retell the details of the loss
- Temporarily attempt to preserve life “as it was” for the loved one
- Have recurrent feelings of guilt or remorse
- Assume characteristics, mannerisms of the loved one
- Irritability, feeling “on edge
Moving Through Grief
For a while, your grief may feel intensely personal and confusing. Move at your own pace. It is important to know that the intensity of your grief will lessen over time. You do not stop loving someone because the person has died. While each person’s experience is unique, the following may help manage your grief.
- Acknowledge the reality of the death. Begin to accept that your loss is real.
- Experience the emotional pain of the loss. Lean into the pain of your grief, feel it, listen to it and learn from it.
- Adjust to a new environment without your loved one. Interact with the world individually and with others day by day.
- Find an enduring connection with your loved one in your current life. Remembering, honoring and continuing to love them.
Bereavement Support
After the loss of your loved one, professional bereavement staff at Azorna Hospice is available for individuals and families seeking support. Realizing that each person’s grief experience is different, a variety of services are offered:
- Supportive mailings
- Individual support sessions
- Support groups
- Seasonal events
Azorna Hospice is here to offer compassionate support and information to help guide you through your time of loss.
For more information about our no-charge grief and bereavement services, please speak with a member of your Hospice care team, visit our website, or call Azorna Hospice.