Have you experienced a recent loss? Having trouble focusing on anything but the longing for things to go back to normal? Or maybe you are obsessing or ruminating about a loss or a major change, or stuck on a traumatic event that has occurred in your life.
How to Understand Grief
Grief is most often conceptualized as an experience tied to death. It’s the longing for someone who is no longer with us and a variety of emotions that are difficult to manage. A similar experience can occur with other types of loss as well. Just as we can long for someone who has died, we can long for life the way it was before a trauma or a big change, or we can grieve the loss of a relationship, a job, a home, or a health status.
If you are are thinking you might be experiencing grief, but feel unsure because it’s not related to death, hopefully this blog can help you find some understanding.
What is Non-Death Grief?
Non-death grief may occur in response to drastic change or the end of something such as a relationship or stage of life. Non-death grief may also occur due to the absence of an experience. This could include longing for a different childhood experience, a reality in which you didn’t have to struggle with chronic illness, or life without COVID-19.
It’s important to understand that all of these things are normal. It is human to want things we used to have, to wish for things to be different, and to feel traumatized or depressed after a big change in our life. If you find that you are judging yourself for how you feel about certain life events, just know that this is all part of the process of grieving. We don’t control our emotions, we can only control how we respond to them. Responding to a normal human emotion with self-blame, self-criticism, or any other form of judgment will only make things worse.
What are the Stages of Grief?
You may have heard of the concept of the stages of grief. These stages are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It is very important to understand that these stages were developed by Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross as one model to explain grief to people with terminal illnesses. In other words, they might not apply to you. If you do experience some of these stages, you can at least take comfort in knowing that they are just part of the process. However, if you don’t experience any of the stages of grief, that is just as normal. Everyone grieves in their own way. You might have some of the stages of grief and not others. You might experience emotions that are not on this list at all. No matter what you experience while grieving, please understand that there is nothing wrong with you.
How Can Therapy Help with Grief?
The experience of grieving can be isolating, especially in circumstances where the loss is “invisible.” Therapy can help with all types of grieving by giving you a space to express your emotions and by helping you move toward a meaningful life in the presence of your loss. No matter how unconventional or common your loss may be, talking with a therapist can provide you with the support, empathy, and tools you need for healing.
Other Mental Health Services Available at Strive On Counseling
As Asheville therapists, we understand that every individual has a unique set of mental health needs. Therefore, we offer many services and forms of therapy to support individuals struggling with a wide range of concerns. For example, our services include individual counseling, anxiety treatment, EMDR trauma therapy, support for families of addicts, therapy for chronic pain & illness, therapy for men’s issues, mindfulness, buddhist counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, teletherapy / online therapy. Some other resources we offer include guided meditations, supplements, a list of books and other useful resources, and online courses. If you would like more information about any of these services, please reach out today, and start doing therapy in North Carolina!