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Grief and Loss
Article written by Terra Register, MSN Patient Educator at the Stephen and Barbara Slaggie Cancer Education Center
As we approach the holiday season, it may be the time of year that we begin to think of those we have lost. Not everyone likes to talk about this subject, but it is a real issue that many face. There are resources to help those that are experiencing the feelings of grief and loss after losing a loved one, family member or friend.
Grief and loss can be an expressed emotion that could involve your physical abilities, mental awareness, emotional displays, and our spiritual beliefs. Each of these have their own effects on your well-being as you may be mourning a loss.
The normal pathway begins with the grieving process of mourning. This is a way that you emotionally express your feelings of the loss. These are unique for all and how we cope, but there are techniques and resources that can help you through this.
Situations for every person vary, exploring different resources can offer you the most assistance. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, services would include speaking with a Chaplain or Social Worker.
Exploring your local community to gather more information on grief support groups.
This video which addresses grief and loss is presented by the Mayo Clinic Hospice and Bereavement Program.
Resources:
Coping with Grief | Cancer.Net
Coping With Grief During the Holidays (cancer.org)
https://www.seasonshospice.org/grief-support
https://hospicefoundation.org/Grief-(1)
What resources or techniques have helped you in the present or the past to confront and cope with your loss or grief?
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Nicely done! I especially appreciate how you explain and accept that each person's journey with grief is unique.
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3 ReactionsThank you for this presentation on “Grief and Loss.” I have been grieving the loss of my husband for over four years. I have asked myself how this can be… what is wrong with me… as he is still here with me. However, after two strokes, Parkinson’s, and Lewy Body Dementia, he is a very different man. I miss the man I fell in love with and married. Sometimes I ask God to help me fall in love with the man I live with now… not that I don’t love him… but EVERYTHING has changed. I have been his 24/7 caregiver for 54 months, without even 1 night away. I am physically and emotionally exhausted. Hearing the explanations of different kinds of grief was helpful.
I would imagine that we can experience more than one kind of grief simultaneously. For example, I lost my Dad recently, and he was “my person” throughout my life. Grieving his loss, while grieving the changes in my husband, are two different things. No wonder it can all be so overwhelming!
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5 ReactionsHello. I can certainly understand your exhaustion. It is draining when we miss that person that once was. I, too, have a husband that went through a heart attack and two strokes. He is doing very much better now and can function very well. However, he was affected by the heart attack. He cannot do a lot of the same things, prior to having it. I grieve about it often, but I don't say anything about it. I lost my dad in 1995. I lost my mom in January 2018 and six months later, I lost my sweet labrador, after 13 years. I am so sorry about the loss of your dad. It sounds like you, both, were very close and those are the ones that help us so much during a rough time. I am praying for you to have continued strength and that God will send new loving, supportive friends your way. Try not to alienate yourself, since loneliness is not helpful either.
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