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Experiencing loss can be one of the most heart wrenching processes we go through in life and grieving is a natural response to loss. Many people think that grieving only occurs when a loved one dies, but there are many other types of loss including: divorce/separation, losing a job and moving house just to name a few. Grief counselling can be extremely helpful to support the grieving process and to work through any areas where you are stuck.

In many ways, death is still a dicey subject of conversation in our English based culture. Often people are concerned about upsetting the person who is grieving by even mentioning the word “death”. As a result, phrases such as someone has “passed away” or “he has lost his brother” are still common.

Of course there is no special formula, or absolute right or wrong way of dealing with loss. What affects one person may not have as much impact on another. It’s a very personal experience and feelings can often come in waves for the first few days or weeks.

Elisabeth Kubler Ross, who died a few years ago, was an internationally renowned psychiatrist of her time. She was known as a “grief guru”, who pioneered the five stage grief model to help people through different types of loss and bereavement. Those five stages include: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

In reality, grieving is very individual and is usually more of a circular process than a linear one. Some people may not experience some stages and other parts of the process may be revisited before full acceptance of the loss is achieved.

Here are some things to keep in mind about grieving:

1. Allow yourself to feel all those natural feelings and find ways to express them;-keep a daily journal, write a letter to the person who has died, or find a creative outlet.

2. Be gentle and patient with yourself

3. Partners/friends can spend time with your loved one who is grieving and listen, be open and acknowledging the persons own resources and differing ways of dealing with emotion.

4. Any ongoing difficulties with sleep, eating, managing mood, libido, increases in drug and alcohol use, reduced energy which persist after a month, are worthwhile discussing and seeking additional help to address. This could mean encouraging your loved one to talk to a close family member, a trusted friend, a spiritual teacher, a doctor or a psychologist.

The old saying “Time heals” is only true if people actually confront their biggest fears and most painful emotions step by step.

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Source by Nic Marcon