What is grief?
According to WebMD, "Grief is a natural response to losing someone or something important to you". While we commonly think of grieving as a result of losing a love one, people can grieve over a variety of other instances, such as a break up or a pet passing away. Individuals can also grieve over past periods of their life, like their childhood or their college years.
How can grief impact someone?
Grief can heavily impact a person's productivity and ability to do daily activities such as eating properly or keeping up with healthy hygiene habits. People who are grieving often report feeling as if there is no point in staying healthy or managing all of their tasks. In the case where someone is grieving over a sudden loss their feelings of regret or guilt can make them feel bad to continue with their daily life as if nothing happened. Conversely, some people will try fill up their schedules so they do not have a chance to think or feel pain from their loss.
A wide range of studies and research show that grief can also manifest itself through physical symptoms. Many people report feeling their hearts literally ache or feel as if their body is very weak. Medical research cautions grieving individuals from exposing themselves to situations where they can contract diseases as the immune response in a grieving person is extremely fragile. In extreme cases, grief can bring up persisting symptoms of depression and suicidal thoughts and can trigger other mental disorders such as BPD or Schizophrenia.
What should you do if you are grieving?
There are many excellent programs that can help you find the support that you need. Organizations such as Good Grief.org or Mental Health America have many resources and trustworthy information on grief and how you can support yourself through this time.
Check to see if you can find local support groups within your area or join an online support group if there are no options within your community. If you are someone who prefers to have a one-on-one with a professional, therapy apps are an accessible and inexpensive alternative to finding a therapist.
In my own personal experience, my advice is to be patient with yourself. The journey to healing is not the same for everyone, and in some cases your path may take longer than you expect it to. Allow yourself to process your emotions and place your own wellbeing and mental health over the hectic whirlwind that is life.
What should you do if you know someone who is grieving?
The stages of grieving don't always look the same from person to person. Sometimes it might take someone a few months to be able to get back on their feet or sometimes it might take years. Some people might have feel more anger rather than sadness and for some it might take a while for them to stop being in denial. The best thing anyone can do to help someone who is grieving is to allow them to grieve.
Ask how you can offer support or help with everyday tasks. Not everyone who is grieving needs assistance in the same manner and not every person likes receiving the same kind of emotional support.
For more information, websites such as helpguide.org or healfgrief.org offer great resources and a plethora of useful information.