Bereavement
For those of us who have had to deal with the death of a person who was very close to us whether a relative, friend or loved one they will know how difficult this can be.
We all deal with this kind of grief in different ways and there is no set timetable as to how long the process will take. However some of the basic stages are often similar for a large number of people.
Initially many go into a state of complete shock - what many describe a sort of numbness. This in some ways can help you deal with all the important things that have to be done so do not worry about feeling this way unless it goes on to long.
This stage is often followed by the stage when you feel an intense loss for the person and often you can feel angry. You may not sleep well and may often thinking about arguments you may have had and about things you would like to have said to them but didn't.
The next stage may include times when you feel very withdrawn from the people around you, you may find yourself crying when reminded of the dead person.
Over time this lessens and you should start feeling more yourself again. The final stage will be when you start letting go and then you will start to return to a more normal life again.
Some people appear to cope very well with a loss and do not appear to go through any or few of the above emotions. Experts feel this sometimes is not a good response as the normal natural emotions of grief may remain bottled up which can lead to future problems.
Some may find themselves having relationship problems, drinking too much, outburst of anger, bouts of depression, insomnia, loss of concentration and focus and any of a range of psychosomatic illnesses.
If you are concerned that you or someone you know may not be handling a bereavement well please email us for more information or to arrange to speak to one of our therapists. Click here to email the Peel Clinic
