Positively Transforming Your Life after Grief and Loss
When a life-changing loss hits you, grief can be a natural reaction. While grieving is natural, if it lasts for a long time, causing you to lose even more, it may be time to do something about it. There is no question that loss can be devastating, but you can process your loss and find ways to move forward. There are other reasons to stay strong and live a fulfilling life. If grief is leaving you feeling hopeless, coming out of it can be extremely challenging. It takes courage to keep going, therapy can help.
Embracing and Grieving Your Loss
Losing someone or something precious happens to all people, making grief a natural human experience. Genuinely concerned people may offer help and comfort, but they may not completely understand your grief due to how unique and personal it is. How can you explain that the death of a pet is like losing a friend or a family member? Would they understand why losing a job that barely pays your rent can feel like losing your aspiration and passion? Will they consider the end of your relationship a significant loss if they think it has prevented your personal and professional growth?
Grief is personal. You will express it in a way that is uniquely your own. And just as grief is personal, so is recovering from it. For some people, easing back into their previous life after loss happens naturally. For others, it may take a long time and be full of pain. You deserve to feel bettert.
When It’s More Than Grief
When you are wrapped up in grief, seeking help may be the last thing on your mind. When you feel that you are stuck in a rut it’s hard to know what will help you to pull yourself out. Knowing what constitutes complicated grief can help you to know if it’s time to seek out counseling.
While it is natural to feel emotionally devastated after a tragic or painful loss, the shock, sadness, remorse, fear, or anger should eventually decrease. If these emotions are not waning or they are leading to other equally upsetting feelings—distrust, indifference, isolation, extreme sadness, and/or fixation with loss—you can’t just stay there. It can affect your health, destroy your relationships, and leave you feeling helpless and hopeless.
When Grief Takes Over
If you allow grief to be a main fixture in your life, more can be at stake as things worsen. Your day-to-day tasks can become arduous and unbearable, making them too difficult to complete. Interacting with other people, even with family and friends, can become a chore you would rather avoid. The activities that you were once eager to do can become uninteresting or not fun at all. You may find life just feels like too much after a heart-rending loss.
While grief does not go away completely after a brief time, that doesn’t mean it has to take center stage forever. You can live with your loss, knowing that there are other things in life to look forward to. When grief pervades your life, it can crush your dreams, career, relationships, life, and future. You may feel like you can’t do the things you need to do, like study or work. You may isolate yourself, avoiding people and opportunities. Intense and sustained grief can also leave you susceptible to depression, anxiety, and even substance abuse.
Transforming Grief with Counseling
If you have experienced a loss, it is natural to grieve. In fact, it is a healthy way of releasing your emotions. It is important, however, not to prolong grieving to the extent that you forgo other beautiful and promising aspects of your life. Do not ignore the signs; if your grief is holding you captive, making it impossible for you to get back on your feet or move on, seek help. Carolina Counseling Services – Pittsboro, NC is just a phone call away.
Carolina Counseling Services – Pittsboro, NC contracts with caring, licensed therapists who know how to help you work through grief. Providers are in network with most major insurances including Aetna, Aetna State Health Plan, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and many more. Call today to get started!