“The task of adulthood is navigating loss” ~ Bruce Springsteen
Everyone experiences loss in life, whether it is the death of a friend or family member, the end of a relationship, a move to a new area, the loss of a pet, or a serious illness. Individual reactions to profound loss differ from person to person. The grieving process often occurs in stages, each of which brings with it different emotions. The stages of grief differ for everyone. When grieving, people may feel emotions such as:
- Shock
- Anger
- Depression, isolation or loneliness
- Guilt
- Denial of your feelings
- Fear
- Sadness
- Anxiety
- Relief
- Longing
There is no right way to grieve. Everyone goes through the stages of grief at a different pace.As we learn to accept the loss, the grief becomes more bearable. However, if the grieving process last for years without lessening, it may be complicated by some of these other factors:
- Avoiding your emotions
- Over-activity to the point of exhaustion
- Alcohol or other drug use
- Making unrealistic promises to the person you have lost
- Unresolved grief from a previous loss
- Judgmental relationships
- Resenting those who try to help
At A Peaceful Balance, we assist our clients in learning to cope with significant losses and assist them in moving through the “Tasks of Grief:”
Task 1: To accept the reality of the loss.
Task 2: To experience the pain of grief.
Task 3: To adjust to a changed environment.
Task 4: To withdraw emotional energy and reinvest it in another relationship.
A Summary of William Worden’s “Tasks of Grief” Model (Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy, 4th ed., 2008).
If you think you would benefit from a therapist to help you to navigate a significant loss, please contact us to set up an appointment for grief therapy.