Grief and Loss
Grief represents a response to loss.
Psychotherapy is a form of grief counseling that aims to help you cope with the physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and cognitive responses to loss.
These experiences are commonly thought to result from a loved one’s death. Still, they may more broadly be understood as shaped by any significant life-altering loss (e.g., divorce, home foreclosure, or job loss).
Grieving can create depression, sadness, and a loss of interest in activities that once brought you happiness.
Here are the myths and facts about grief and grieving.
From: https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/grief/coping-with-grief-and-loss – By Melinda Smith, M.A., Lawrence Robinson and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D.
Myth: The pain will go away faster if you ignore it. Fact: Trying to ignore your pain or keep it from surfacing will only make it worse in the long run. For real healing, it is necessary to face your grief and actively deal with it.
Myth: It’s essential to “be strong” in the face of loss. Fact: Feeling sad, frightened, or lonely is a normal reaction to loss. Crying doesn’t mean you are weak. You don’t need to “protect” your family or friends by putting on a brave front. Showing your true feelings can help them and you.
Myth: If you don’t cry, you aren’t sorry about the loss. Fact: Crying is a normal response to sadness, but it’s not the only one. Those who don’t cry may feel the pain as deeply as others. They may have other ways of showing it.
Myth: Grieving should last about a year. Fact: There is no specific time frame for grieving. How long it takes differs from person to person.
Myth: Moving on with your life means forgetting about your loss. Fact: Moving on means you’ve accepted your loss – but that’s not the same as forgetting. You can move on with your life and keep the memory of someone or something you lost as an essential part of you.