How does therapy help with grief and loss?
Loss, defined as having something or someone leave or be taken away from you, a feeling of grief when something is gone. Grief is the acute pain that accompanies loss. Grief and loss can occur from the death of a loved one, however, it is broader than that, as we can all attest to with COVID-19. The loss of a job, identity, the loss of typical ways of doing things, loss of freedom, physical health, security, money, loss of potential, and loss of projected future.
Common grief reactions include shock and disbelief, sadness, despair, loneliness, feeling empty, guilt, regret, shame, anger, feeling resentful, anxiety, helplessness, insecurity, fear, physical symptoms like fatigue, nausea, sickness, weight loss, or gain, aches and pains, night sweats, heart palpitations, feeling faint or light headed, insomnia. Therapy can help with loss and a number of ways. It is important to tell your story as research demonstrates that telling and retailing your story helps to alleviate symptoms. Goals of mourning include: accepting the reality of the loss, working through the pain of grief, and getting in touch with your true self and re-creating your life in a manner in which you find joy in the present moment.