Grief – It happens to all of us.

by | Oct 14, 2022 | Wellbeing

I heard this beautiful quote about grief the other day.  ‘Grief is love with no place to go.’  I was really touched when I heard that and found it to be so true. 

We all experience grief at some point in our lives…it comes in many forms and it looks very different for each one of us. 

Our Registered Psychologist (Provisional) Lana McAleer has some helpful information about grief for you below.  I hope it helps. 

Is My Grief Normal? 

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Many of us have experienced the loss of a loved one at some point in our lives.
For those fortunate ones that haven’t, you will experience this loss at some point. It is normal when experiencing a significant loss to experience the process known as grief.

Grief consists of thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and psychological changes that vary in pattern and intensity over time. 
 

If you are experiencing grief, you may be wondering if what you are feeling or thinking is normal. The following are experiences that are common for individuals experiencing normal grief, also known as uncomplicated grief. 

 

Feelings: 

  • Sadness 

  • Anger 

  • Blame 

  • Anxiety  

  • Loneliness 

  • Fatigue 

  • Helplessness 

  • Shock 

  • Yearning  

  • Emancipation 

  • Relief 

  • Numbness 

Physical Sensations 

  • Hollowness in the stomach 

  • Tightness in the stomach 

  • Tightness in the throat 

  • Being over-sensitive to noise 

  • A feeling of depersonalization – You do not feel like yourself. 

  • Breathlessness or feeling short of breath 

  • Weakness in the muscles 

  • Lack of energy 

  • Dry Mouth 

Thoughts: 

  • Disbelief 

  • Confusion 

  • Preoccupation – meaning having obsessive thoughts about the person who has passed away 

  • Sense of Presence – Believing that the deceased person is still present somehow 

Behaviours 

  • Sleep disturbances 

  • Eating disturbances 

  • Distracted and absent-minded behaviours 

  • Social withdrawal 

  • Dreams about the person who has passed away 

  • Avoiding reminders of the person you have lost 

  • Searching and calling out 

  • Crying 

  • Being restless 

  • Treasuring objects that belonged to the deceased and/or visiting places that meant something to the deceased 

Remember if you are experiencing grief there is help.  Please feel free to book a session with me and I’d be very happy to help you.  

 

 

– Lana McAleer
Registered Psychologist (Provisional)

 

Thanks, Lana. This is really helpful information.   

Of course we feel grief when we lose someone we love, or a beloved pet but we can also experience grief when we experience other losses, too. 

For example, many people felt grief during the pandemic because it stole 2 years out of our lives, we lost our sense of control and safety, & what had been our normal way of life. 

A divorce or losing a job can cause grief because both signal the loss of a dream, of something you thought would last forever like a relationship or a career that you loved that you. 

Lana McAleer is a Registered Paychologist (Provisional). She works with Adults, Children and Youth and specializes in the following: 

  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Panic Attacks
  • Depression
  • Mental Health Issues
  • ADHD
  • Self Esteem
  • Self Confidence
  • Self Compassion
  • Communication Issues
  • And many more areas

Book your appointment with LANA here.

Be gentle with yourself,  

Penney

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