"At the core of this grief is our longing to belong. This longing is wired into us by necessity. It assures our safety and our ability to extend out into the world with confidence."
- The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller
Grief is a reaction to any form of loss. It encompasses a wide range of emotions such as fear, anger, and deep, deep sadness.
The process of adapting to a loss can dramatically change from person to person, depending on his or her background, beliefs, relationship to the person or animal who’s passed, and other factors.
Additionally, grief isn’t about whether something was good or bad — it’s about attachment. When we’re attached to something and it changes or ends, we grieve. You can also grieve something you never had. Grief isn’t only about losing what existed — it’s also about mourning what should have existed.
A few common symptoms are:
Physical
- Crying and sighing
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite
- Difficulty sleeping
- Weakness
- Fatigue
Emotional
- Feelings of sadness and yearning
- Feelings of worry or anger
- Feelings of frustration or guilt
Social
- Feeling detached from others
- Self-isolation from social contact
- Behaving in ways that are not normal for you
Every grieving experience is different. A person may be able to continue their day-to-day routine after one loss, yet not be able to get out of bed after the loss of someone else.
Whatever you are experiencing, being witnessed in our grief is one of the most powerful ways to begin honoring what mattered.