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Loss and Grief: How are you doing?
When my dad passed away several years ago I lost my keys 4 times in one month, I would wake up at 3 a.m. several days every week feeling startled. Sound familiar? These are reactions to grief. Grief is a very personal experience - everyone grieves differently – even in the same family because the relationship of a father is different than that of a wife or a granddaughter. Unfortunately, often we grieve alone. Sometimes we don’t want to “bother others” with our grief, and sometimes friends and family tell us that we should be over it by now. After all the person we lost was ill for a long time or was very old and “it was their time” or “they are in a better place now.” Sound familiar?
Grieving is often described as the "work of grief." It does feel like hard work doesn’t it? Grief can be difficult because of the many factors related to the loss. If the loss followed a prolonged, serious illness you undoubtedly did some “anticipatory grief work” prior to the actual death of the loved one. If the loss, however, was sudden, i.e., accident related, suicide, a result of crime, etc. the sense of grief is coupled with shock.
The relationship that you had with the loved one also affects your grief experience, i.e. was your relationship close or had it been strained? Do you feel guilt that you were not closer or do you feel guilty because you don’t feel you did enough to help while your loved one was ill?
Sometimes anger plays a part in the grief process. Did your loved one get poor medical treatment or a wrong and/or late diagnosis? Did your loved one not follow your doctor’s orders with regard to their health (diet, smoking, attention to meds or exercise)? All of these factors contribute to your experience of grief.
Also, some losses are not so evident to others. These would include a miscarriage or a stillborn. Sometimes these losses are not considered as relevant to others as the loss of a person who has lived a longer life. In the case of a miscarriage, others might not even be aware of your loss.
You may think of that person on anniversary dates (their birthday, date of their death) or you might think of them constantly. Unfortunately, sometime people say things that can multiply grief. Have you ever heard someone say, “you should be over this by now?” or “I had a similar experience and I’m OK.” Well, most likely their similar experience was not the same as yours. Thinking you should be over it might compound your grief with feelings of guilt or frustration.
Whether a recent loss, or a loss you experienced a long time ago, let’s talk about it. Whatever your experience, I'd like to hear your stories and together find a way to relocate that loved one so that we can experience peace in our lifetime.
Together let us support each other in our grief journey.
Teresa
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My thought on grief is that we all deal with thus in our "own" unique. It can help to have the support of others. Others cannot do the grieving for us nor, tell another "how" to grieve. Some deal better than others. Some can move on. Others may not be able to do so. We each grieve at a different pace. Grief can sneak up on us although we may believe we have dealt with the grief. For some there may be no end to the grieving.
Would that there were a simple solution.
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6 ReactionsAin't it the truth!?
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4 Reactions@parus So true! Grief is a very personal experience. I've heard the process of grief described as a "lighting strike" rather than a straight line. You think that you have made it through grief and you are OK, then you feel zapped by hearing a song, or seeing someone who looks similar to the one who you lost and all of sudden you are in the midst of it again.
Teresa
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4 ReactionsI think guilt is a part of grief for those of us whose loved one died suddenly as in my son's suicide or those of us who have had complicated or estranged relationships with the person who died.
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4 Reactions@georgette12 So true. I am sorry to hear about the suicide of your son. I still have guilt about my dad's suicide. Grief is a complicated journey. Guilt seems to accompany grief.
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3 ReactionsI think that my life has more grief than anything else. I list my Dad to ALS when I was a child, my Mother told me she didn’t want to have me and my Dad wouldn’t let her get an abortion. (I am the youngest of 8 Children.). She too be from Missouri to Michigan to live with my sister who was 17 years older than me and had 3 young children. I actually didn’t know her very well when I moved there. I lost all my friends and everything that I knew as safe.
I was sexually abused by my brother in law but was able to stop it, I just lived in fear a lot. With that family we moved three times. I went to 3 different high schools. As an adult I had one miscarriage, lost 2 of my brothers who were in their 40 s, and just continue to loose people. A little over a year ago I lost my daughter to Cancer. I also List most of my life to a medical disability that had me quit my job early and loose any sense of purpose. I keep moving forward but am a bit tired of trying to be better.
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2 ReactionsHello @vthatch
Thank you for joining our discussion on Loss and Grief. You have shared a lot of experiences of personal losses. I'm wondering if you could share with us what has helped you to deal with all of this loss. Is there a strong foundation in your life that you turn to when you experience these losses? I'm thinking of friends, supportive people, faith, a church community, etc.
If there are such supports in your life we would be helped by your sharing them with us. At Connect, we all learn from each other.
Teresa
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1 ReactionHello vhatch.. I am sorry that your life has had so many hard things to deal with, yet here you are writing about it in a support group kind of letter which to me shows strength..and are willing to share th8ngs in your life which shows you havent completely lost your ability to trust.. i at times in my life have often wondered why things have to be so difficult to endure for some and not so much for others, and the only thing which i was able to find that makes some sense was some of the beliefs of some of the eastern religions who believe in karma and that we choose what we experience in our present lifetimes for the betterment of our souls. If we choose we can really be mad at life but content knowing we will get thru them.. Might sound a bit far fetched but to me it was something i could hold onto to give the hard times meaning. I too had brothers and sisters who were alot older than I was ...my brother was old enough to be my father.. i was a midlife accident i believe 🙂 but i truly feel i made my fathers last years on earth happy, and he gave me wonderful memories he died of alzeiheimers when i was a teen and my mother and I had to move to a small house 50 miles away that became available for sale next door to my sister. And experienced things as you mentioned starting a new school in high school, making new friends, dealing with a kinda new culture (each area is different). and i think i have been looking for someone like my father ever since someone that had such kindness. Sometimes when i am really down i try to concentrate on the really good people that have been in my life (and do get sad that they are gone) but at least i got to experience them. I also try to concentrate on the strength i have developed in dealing with the things i have and havent stayed bitter.. dont get me wrong at times i am very bitter but i always seem to manage to pull myself out of that frame of mind and try to think of the blessings i have experienced.. there is verses in the bible that was made into a song back in the 60s called turn turn turn a time to be born etc.. and i truly believe that is life and we are to experience all of it with all the sadness, happiness, fear and other feelings and come out on the other side feeling our strength in having surrvived or enjoyed each experience life may bring us.. sometimes its truly in the way you look at things even horribly hard things to look at.. i hope day by day your strengh grows and your confidence and your tolerence to this thing called life, believe me i know at times its not easy at all...take good care and enjoy at least some part of your weekend 🙂
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5 ReactionsI have had a strong faith in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit all of my life and that has been my ROCK of support!!. My family never talked about death and grief so no support there. The first time I have felt any other form of support has been after my daughter died. I have a friend who lets me be who I am and where I am at any point in time. Most of my life I have been the strong one and supported everyone else. I was also a Hospice Nurse because I felt I had experienced loss enough to understand it and help others in their journey know that wherever they were and whatever they though at any given time was ok. I was also able to teach them about aspects of death and of grieving.
My daughter also had a strong community of support and they have been kind to me. My church has also been supportive with her death.
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2 ReactionsHello @vthatch and thanks for sharing all of the supports that you have in your life. It sounds like you have experienced much loss, but you have also helped others because of those loss experiences. I am happy that you are posting in this discussion.
Teresa
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