Dealing with Grief

I am often asked when grief ends. While it is often an unsatisfying answer, I answer that I don’t know. Each person experiences grief differently. Recovery can depend on your prior history of losses, how sudden the event is, and your support system. Some people never get over certain events in their lives. That can be okay if you are able to find a way to move on with your life. If your grief impairs your overall functioning it may be time to seek help.

For most people I suspect that reaching the point where your loss no longer has the emotional impact on you that it once did is when things begin to shift. This can mean no longer having the physical reaction many people experience when thinking about their loved ones. It can mean no longer having thoughts of your loss repeat in your mind every hour, day, or week. 

The second question is how do I move on from my loss? The answer is get support, talk about it with others that understand, and just try to live your life day to day. Often one day you will just wake up and realize that you had a day that was different from before. Getting support from others who have had the similar experiences is important. Inevitably others that haven’t experienced a similar loss think you should get past things much faster than most people do. The most important thing is to allow yourself time to have whatever process you need to experience. No one can tell you how to grieve or move on. Each person needs to determine that for themselves.