Feelings After a Loss

The death of someone we love is the greatest loss any of us may endure.  After the initial shock, we may feel angry, guilty, abandoned, helpless, and confused.  These feelings may overwhelm us immediately, or they may surface after weeks, months, or years.  Although we may feel devastated by our loss, we can learn to cope and grow through the grieving process.

Loss is woven into the fabric of living

Grief is not an illness -- it is a natural part of life.  Grief is not a stable thing with a clear beginning, middle, or end.  It is a process that may (or may not) include anguish, fear, denial, despair, illness, sadness, and longing.  You do not have to endure your pain in silence and isolation.  Talking will not change your loss, but it can help make your feelings bearable.

Each loss is unique

Each of us experiences and copes with grief differently.  You may find that you are in a different place than your friends and family -- a place where you are not ready to get back to normal.  Grief has many faces and moods.  What you feel and need today may be different from yesterday, may be different tomorrow, and may be very different from the needs and feelings of other people.