EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH
Grief and loss?
Grief and loss are some of the most common, natural emotional responses to any kind of change, whether it’s the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, a job loss, or a move to a new city.
Need immediate help?
If you or someone you know is in danger of hurting themselves or someone else — or if there’s any type of health emergency — please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
How grief and loss might show up
Grief can manifest in a variety of ways, including sadness, anger, guilt, anxiety, and physical symptoms such as fatigue and changes in appetite. There is no right or wrong way to grieve.
It’s important to allow yourself to feel your sadness and grief, but there are also healthy ways to cope with these difficult emotions. Those include:
- Allowing yourself to feel your emotions. Trying to suppress sadness or grief will only prolong the healing process. Give yourself time to grieve and cry if you need to.
- Talking to someone you trust. Talking about your feelings can be a helpful way to process your grief. Talk to a friend, family member, therapist, or grief counselor.
- Take care of yourself. When you’re grieving, it’s important to take care of your physical and mental health. Eat healthy foods, get enough sleep, and exercise. You may also want to consider joining a support group for people who are grieving.
Need immediate help?
If you or someone you know is in danger of hurting themselves or someone else — or if there’s any type of health emergency — please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Frequently asked questions about grief and loss
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Grief doesn’t have a clear endpoint. Emotions will come and go with intense, painful feelings in the beginning, and then periods when you feel more normal and can be triggered by reminders of the grief. You can grieve for as long as you need to. If emotions feel too intense for too long or if grief is interrupting your daily life, a therapist can help you.
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The five stages of grief model popularized by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. There is no specific order or timeline for these—people may experience them in their own ways.