Some reactions to loss are common to us all but during the course of each person’s grieving many different ones will be experienced, in different ways, in different intensities, at different times. No two people will respond in the same way. Some feelings may scare you because they seem unexplainable, strange or even bizarre. Some may astonish you because they express through your body in physical symptoms – remember we are our whole being, an integration of spirit, mind and body. Emotions of the heart are felt in the body.
If you find yourself struggling to cope, especially if you are frightened or confused by what you are feeling, it’s very important to seek support from people you trust and to connect with the practitioners who can help you. Mourning losses and letting go of grief is a process that takes time, gentleness, compassion and courage. It is a very personal and private journey, but it is not one that should be travelled alone.
Some of the responses to loss that may be experienced are listed below.
- Numbness (psychic and/or physical)
- Physical pain
- Apathy
- Withdrawal
- Disbelief (denial)
- Sudden emotional outbursts
- Puzzlement, bewilderment
- Confusion
- Disorganization
- Yearning
- Panic
- Fear
- Anxiety
- Despair
- Anger, frustration, bitterness
- Hypersensitivity
- Guilt
- Sadness, loneliness
- Feelings of meaninglessness, hopelessness, abandonment
- Regression
- Irritability
- Obsessive thinking about the loss
- Reviewing circumstances of the loss
- Searching for the past (photos, places, etc.)
- Repeatedly talking about the past
