Title: 
Headings: Understanding Grief
Understanding
 
Grief
 

Transitions
 
GriefCare
 

919.719.7199
 
transitionslifecare.org/griefcare
 

Along
 
The
 
Journey
 
of
 
Grief
 

Understanding
 
Grief
 

Grief:

Normal
 
Grief
 
Reactions
 

Coping
 
with
 
Grief
 

Grief
 
can
 
be
 
emotionally
 
exhausting
 

Grief
 
can
 
be
 
physically
 
exhausting
 

Grief
 
can
 
make
 
you
 
feel
 
out
 
of
 
control
 

Grief
 
can
 
be
 
confusing
 
to
 
those
 
who
 
care
 
about
 
you
 

Grief
 
is
 
long,
 
hard
 
work
 

The
 
Mourner’s
 
Bill
 
of
 
Rights
 

How
 
to
 
Support
 
Someone
 
in
 
Grief
 

Do’s
 
and
 
Don’ts
 
of
 
Support
 

How
 
To
 
Support
 
Someone
 
In
 
Grief:
 
Helpful
 
Phrases
 

Don’t
 
say:
 

Do
 
say:
 

LISTEN,
 
LISTEN,
 
LISTEN
 

Adult
 
Grief
 
Support
 
Services
 

Grief
 
Counseling
 

Bereavement
 
Support
 
Groups
 

Workshops
 
and
 
Special
 
Events
 

Community
 
Education
 
and
 
Support
 

Lending
 
Library
 
and
 
Additional
 
Information
 

Books
 
for
 
Adults
 

General
 
Grief
 

Death
 
of
 
a
 
Life
 
Partner
 

Death
 
of
 
a
 
Parent
  

Books
 
for
 
Children
 


Content: these
 
reactions
 
are
 
normal,
 
natural
 
responses
 
to
 
the
 
loss
 
of
 
a
 
significant
 
person
 
in
 
your
 
life. Sadness


Anger


Guilt,
 
regret


Relief


Shock,
 
numbness


Yearning


Anxiety,
 
insecurity,
 
panic,
 
fear



Apathy,
 
lack
 
of
 
motivation


Loneliness
 
and
 
sense
 
of
 
social
 
isolation


Resentment,
 
envy,
 
feeling
 
cheated


Abandonment


Helplessness,
 
lack
 
of
 
control


Decreased
 
self-confidence


Humor



Fatigue,
 
feeling
 
drained


Feeling
 
of
 
emptiness
 
or
 
“butterflies”
 
in
the
 
stomach


Lump
 
in
 
the
 
throat


Tightness
 
in
 
the
 
chest,
 
breathlessness


Increased
 
muscle
 
tension,
 
aches,
 
pain



Susceptibility
 
to
 
illness
 
or
 
exacerbation
 
of
existing
 
health
 
problems


Feeling
 
of
 
weakness


Palpitations


Shaking


Dryness
 
of
 
the
 
mouth


Over-sensitivity
 
to
 
noise



Confusion,
 
disorientation,
 
forgetfulness,
inability
 
to
 
concentrate


Vivid
 
imagery
 
of
 
the
 
illness
 
and/or
 
death


Need
 
to
 
tell
 
the
 
details
 
of
 
the
 
loss
 
again
and
 
again


Disbelief,
 
unreality



Sense
 
of
 
presence


Seeing,
 
smelling,
 
or
 
hearing
 
the
 
person


Wishing
 
for
 
death
 
or
 
to
 
join
 
the
 
deceased


Thoughts
 
like: “It
 
will
 
never
 
be
 
the
 
same”
or
 
“It’s
 
not
 
fair”


Dreams
 
of
 
the
 
deceased



Sleep
 
and
 
appetite
 
changes


Increase
in
 
accidents
 
or
 
risky
 
behaviors


Searching
 
and
 
calling
 
out,
 
talking
 
to
 
the
deceased


Crying,
 
screaming


Restlessness,
 
sighing



Irritability,
 
feeling
 
“on
 
edge”


Social
 
withdrawal
 
or
 
increased
 
social
activity; changed
 
relationships


Changes
 
in
 
work
 
performance


Increase
 
or
 
decrease
 
in
 
alcohol
 
or
 
drug
 
use


Increase
 
or
 
decrease
 
in
 
self-care



Loss
 
of
 
identity,
 
loss
 
of
 
purpose


Search
 
for
 
meaning,
 
questioning


Redefining
 
personal
 
philosophy
 
and
assumptions
 
about
 
life


Turning
 
away
 
from
 
or
 
towards
 
existing
beliefs



Increase
 
or
 
decrease
 
in
 
religious
 
practice: attending
 
worship,
 
prayer,
 
meditation


Anger
 
at
 
faith,
 
anger
 
at
 
God


Gratitude


Peace,
 
resolution


Increased
 
meaning,
 
hope


New
 
life
 
priorities


We
 
all
 
grieve,
 
but
 
no
 
two
 
people
 
grieve
 
alike. You
 
may
 
experience
 
any
 
combination
 
of
 
these
 
reactions,
 
and
 
your
 
responses
 
can
 
vary
 
greatly
 
from
 
day
 
to
 
day. Letting
 
yourself
 
experience
 
and
 
work
 
through
 
them
 
is
 
part
 
of
 
the
 
difficult
 
but
 
ultimately
 
healing
 
process
 
of
 
grief. List
 
adapted
 
from
 
Grief
 
Counseling
 
and
 
Grief
 
Therapy
 
by
 
J.
 
William
 
Worden
 
and
 
Normal
 
Manifestations
 
of
 
Grief
  
by
 
Gerry
 
Haynes
 
and
 
Kay
 
Kukowski
 
www.transitionslifecare.org
 
Coping
 
with
 
Grief
 
Grief
 
can
 
be
 
emotionally
 
exhausting
 

Understand
 
that
 
you
 
are
 
different
 
right
 
now
 
because
 
you
 
are
 
healing


Be
 
gentle
 
and
 
patient
 
with
 
yourself; treat
 
yourself
 
as
 
you
 
would
 
a
 
good
 
friend


Lower
 
your
 
expectations
 
of
 
what
 
you
 
would
 
normally
 
be
 
able
 
to
 
manage


Give
 
yourself
 
a
 
“pass”
 
when
 
something
 
is
 
too
 
hard


Take
 
time
 
alone
 
when
 
you
 
are
 
too
 
tired
 
or
 
too
 
sad
 
to
 
be
 
with
 
people


Seek
 
those
 
you
 
can
 
trust