What to Expect Along theWay
LivingWith Loss newsletters can serve as a general road map to help you understand the grief journey.Although we can’t predict what curves you’ll face on your personal journey, we can identify elements of the terrain you can expect to encounter along the way. Grief and mourning are natural after a loss. Grief is your internal experience: your thoughts and feelings related to the experience of your loss. Mourning is the outward expression of your grief.Although they’re both intensely personal and unique experiences, grief and mourning aren’t always interrelated. Sometimes, you’ll experience extremely painful grief, but not display noticeable mourning behaviors.You will mourn according to cultural influences and your unique personality. Modern American society has unrealistic expectations about grief and the mourning process. Since there are no universal, consistent and accepted rituals around death, others may respond inappropriately to you or set unrealistic expectations of you.You can’t control other people or their responses to your grief journey. Keep in mind that no one can dictate how you grieve.You need to proceed at your own pace. Grief can express itself through various physical symptoms, including: sleeplessness, appetite changes, chest tightness, clumsiness, dry mouth, poor concentration and decreased energy.The intense emotions and thoughts you experience while grieving take tremendous energy, so fatigue is also common. Even though these symptoms can be a normal part of the process, talk with your physician about them to rule out any medical concerns. Initially, it is common to feel a sense of shock or numbness about the death, making it seem as though you aren’t really absorbing the full implications of the loss.This seems to be a natural protective mechanism that allows human beings to gradually absorb the reality, meaning and consequences of a death. Other common emotions include loneliness, anger, guilt, relief, helplessness, and irritability. In general, the bereaved often describe these manifestations of the grieving process as an unpredictable emotional rollercoaster.The intensity of your grief will vary with how you perceive your loss. Sometimes you’ll feel terrible pain for the loss of your hopes, dreams, unfulfilled expectations and for unmet needs resulting from your loved one’s death.
The Journey of Grief You’ve suffered a tremendous loss: someone close to you has died. Perhaps the whole situation still feels foreign or unreal to you.You may find yourself feeling disoriented, overwhelmed, or like you’re trapped in a nightmare and can’t wake up. Maybe you feel numb, like a robot going through the motions of life.You may feel surprisingly calm at times. It’s not uncommon to move back and forth between these emotional states, feeling like a leaf in the middle of a hurricane. Everyone grieves differently.Although we can’t tell you exactly what your grief journey will be like, we can reassure you that the journey is easier when you have company and comfort along the way. This booklet is intended to give you foundational information about the grief process and is a resource you can refer back to as needed. It will be followed by a series of seven issues of Living with Loss, delivered over the course of 14 months. Living with Loss was created specifically to comfort those who have been impacted by a death. Each issue contains helpful information about living with, and adjusting to, your loss. We’ve included education about grief, as well as proven tips and coping strategies.You’ve embarked on one of the most important journeys you’ll ever make.We’re here for you along the way, providing support, education and comfort as you heal.
5
The Elizabeth Hospice
4
The Elizabeth Hospice
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker