True or False: Grief hurts but it can be helpful
True! The grieving process often involves sadness, anger, lonliness, and other painful emotions. However, grieving can help you come to terms with the loss and move forward in your life while still cherishing your loved one.
What is grief?
Grief is the natural emotional response resulting from a significant loss - especially the death of a loved one.
Does everyone cope the same way with death?
No. Some are able to use healthy coping techniques while others turn to unhealthy strategies such as drinking, isolating, or using drugs.
Are there more than one kind of grief?
Yes, there are different kinds of grief including traumatic, acute, complicated, and integrated.
Funerals, memorials, and other ceremonies can help us say good-bye to the person who died.
Yes this is true.
When you are grieving, who can you seek help from?
Family, friends, therapist
Can grief become too painful?
Yes. It can grow into something totally different, like depression or anxiety. Other times grief can take over a person's life. We call this complicated grief.
Crying is a healthy coping strategy for grief.
Yes. The activity of crying and expressing our sadness can help us heal. Express yourself at therapy, a support group, or with friends.
What is traumatic grief?
Traumatic grief is when the loss is unexpected and comes on suddenly. Sometimes, it can be if you witness the death.
People have different ideas and beliefs about what happens to a person after they die.
True, what do YOU believe?
True or False: Moving on means forgetting about the loss.
You can continue to live your life have new experiences, and form new relationships, while continuing to love ther person you lost.
The grief process is the same for everyone.
False. Everyone deals with grief differently. People cry, laugh, busy themselves, throw up, or even feel numb.
False. Although at first looking at pictures of and thinking about the person may be painful, but avoiding those things often causes more distress.
What is integrated grief?
Integrated grief is when you have come to accept the reality of the loss and resume your daily activities. You may still experience symptoms of acute grief, especially around the holidays, birthdays and other reminders.
When someone you love dies, there can be certain days of the year that can be difficult (for example, holidays, the person’s birthday, the anniversary of their death).
True. What are some of those dates for you?
Everyone who has experienced loss also experiences significant distress.
False. Only one in three people respond to loss with resilience or relief. Feeling this way does not mean that you don't care, or that you love the person any less. Nor does it mean that your grief is unfinished or that you have a problem.
Some people recover quickly from grief.
True. Some people are able to recover quickly while others take their time.
You should take care of yourself physically to help you get through the grieving process.
Yes. Taking good care of your body will help you cope with grief since our minds and bodies are connected.
What is complicated grief?
Sometimes our grief can carry on for years and years and the loss continues to feel unreal and unmanageable. You might constantly long for the deceased loved one or experience guilt about the idea of "moving on."
Feelings of grief can come back at any point in your life.
True.
True or False: The circumstances of a loss have nothing to do with grief.
False! Deaths that are unexpected, traumatic, or stigmatized (suicide) can complicate the grieving process.
Once you accept that a loved one has died, you are done grieving.
False. Even after resolving intense emotions after the loss of a loved one, we might still feel sad. We just learn ways to cope.
Journaling about the person is a healthy way to cope with grief.
True. It can be helpful to write down your thoughts, feelings, and memories of the person. It can even be helpful to write a letter to the person.
What is acute grief?
Acute grief is experienced immediately after the death and for months afterwards. It can include intense emotions, shock, distress, sadness, poor appetite, sleep trouble, and poor concentration. These symptoms go away with time.
What are some symptoms of grief?
Irritability
Avoidance
Decreased or increased appetite
Sleep changes
Hard time feeling good or happy
Feeling sad all of the time.