What is Bereavement and Grieving

Bereavement and Grieving. While bereavement and grieving are natural and inevitable processes that occur when someone experiences the loss of a loved one. Bereavement is the period of time following a loss, while grieving is the process of coming to terms with that loss.

Grief is a normal and healthy response to loss, and there is no “right” way to grieve. However, the grieving process can be complex and challenging, and individuals may experience a range of emotions and physical symptoms as they navigate the process.

Symptoms of Bereavement and Grieving

The symptoms of bereavement and grieving can vary depending on the individual and their relationship to the person who has passed away. Common symptoms include:

Intense sadness and feelings of emptiness
Difficulty sleeping or changes in appetite
Physical symptoms, such as fatigue and headaches
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Anxiety or feelings of panic
Irritability or anger
Guilt or regret
Longing for the person who has passed away
Difficulty accepting the reality of the loss
Questioning one’s own mortality

Effects of Bereavement and Grieving

The effects of bereavement and grieving can be wide-ranging and can affect every aspect of an individual’s life. Grief can impact an individual’s physical health, mental health, and relationships.

For example, grieving individuals may experience sleep disturbances and a weakened immune system, making them more susceptible to illness. They may also experience depression and anxiety, and may struggle with feelings of isolation and disconnection from others.

In addition to these effects, grieving individuals may also experience changes in their relationships. For example, they may feel a sense of distance from friends or family who do not understand their grief, or they may struggle to maintain relationships with those who remind them of the person who has passed away.

Support for Bereavement and Grieving

Grief is a natural and normal response to loss, but it can be helpful to seek support during the grieving process. There are a variety of resources available to individuals who are grieving, including support groups, counselling services, and online resources.

Support groups, such as those offered through hospice programs or religious organisations, can provide a supportive environment where individuals can share their experiences with others who have gone through similar losses.

Counselling services can also be helpful for individuals who are struggling with the grieving process. A counsellor can provide a safe and supportive space where individuals can explore their feelings and develop healthy coping strategies.

Online resources, such as grief support forums and blogs, can also provide a sense of community and support for individuals who are grieving.

Final Thoughts

Bereavement and grieving are natural and normal processes that occur when someone experiences the loss of a loved one. While the grieving process can be challenging, it is important to seek support and resources to help navigate this difficult time. With the right support, individuals can come to terms with their loss and find a sense of healing and peace.

Bereavement is a distressing but common experience. Sooner or later most of us will suffer the death of someone we love or the loss of a deeply meaningful relationship. Yet in our everyday life we think and talk about death very little, perhaps because we encounter it less often than previous generations. For them, the death and loss was a far more common experience.

For us, these losses usually happen later in life. So we do not have much of a chance either to learn about grieving –
how it feels, what are the right things to do, what is ‘normal’ –
or to come to terms with it. In spite of this, we have to cope when we are finally faced with the death of someone we love.

We grieve after any sort of loss, but most powerfully after the death of someone we love. It is not just one feeling, but a whole succession of feelings, which take a while to get through and which cannot be hurried. Mostly, we grieve for someone that we have known for some time.

Miscarriages – What is Bereavement and Grieving

However, it is clear that people who have had stillbirths or miscarriages, or who have lost very young babies, grieve in the same way and need the same sort of care and consideration. In days following the death or loss of a close relative, friend or relationship, most people feel simply stunned, as though they cannot believe it has actually happened. They may feel like this even if the death has been expected. This sense of emotional numbness can be a help in getting through all the important practical arrangements that have to be made, such as getting in touch with relatives and organising the funeral.

What is Bereavement and Grieving. However, this feeling of unreality may become a problem if it goes on too long. Seeing the body of the dead person may, for some, be an important way of beginning to overcome this. Similarly, for many people, the funeral s an occasion when the reality of what has happened really starts to sink in. It may be distressing to attend the funeral, but these are ways of saying goodbye and starting the process of bringing closure. At the time, these things may seem too painful to go through and so are not done. However, this can lead to a sense of deep regret in the future.

Yearning for a lost person

However, this numbness soon disappears and may be replaced by a dreadful sense of agitation, of pining or yearning for the lost person. There is a feeling of wanting somehow to find them, even though this is clearly impossible. This makes it difficult to relax or concentrate and it may be difficult to sleep properly. Some people feel that they ‘see’ their lost person everywhere they go. People often start to feel angry at this time.

What is Bereavement and Grieving. Another common feeling is guilt. People find themselves going over in their minds all the things they would have liked to have said or done. They may even consider what they could have done differently that might have prevented the death. Of course, death or loss of a relationship is usually beyond anyone’s control and a bereaved person may need to be reminded of this. Some people may feel guilty if they feel relieved that their loved one has died after a painful or distressing illness. This feeling of relief is natural, understandable and very common.

This state of agitation – What is Bereavement and Grieving

This state of agitation is usually strongest about two weeks after the death or loss, but is soon followed by times of quiet sadness or even depression, and withdrawal. These sudden changes of emotion can be confusing both to the individual or close friends, but are part of the normal process of grief. Although the agitation lessens, the periods of depression become more frequent and reach their peak between four and six weeks later.

Spasms of grief can occur at any time, sparked off by people, places or things that bring back memories of the lost person. Other people may find it difficult to understand or be embarrassed when the bereaved person suddenly bursts into tears for no obvious reason. At this stage it may be tempting to keep away from other people who do not fully understand or share the grief.

Avoiding others

However, avoiding others can store up trouble for the future, and it is usually best to start to return to one’s normal activities within a couple of weeks. As time passes, the fierce pain of early bereavement begins to fade. The depression lessens and it is possible to think about other things and even to look again to the future. However, the sense of having lost a part of oneself never goes away entirely.

Bereaved partners

For bereaved partners there are constant reminders of their new singleness, in seeing other couples together and from the deluge of media images of happy families. After some time it is possible to feel whole again, even though a part is missing. Even so, years later you may sometimes find yourself talking as though he or she were still here with you. These various stages of grief often overlap and show themselves in different ways in different people. Most recover from a major bereavement or loss within one or two years. The final phase of grieving is a letting-go of the person who has died and the start of a new sort of life. The depression clears completely, sleep improves and energy returns to normal. Sexual feelings may have vanished for some time, but now return – this is quite normal.

Contact us

If you would like any help or advice, call us now on Tel: 07811 606 606 (24 hours)