Bereavement and Loss
Does it feel as though the world and everyone around you has gone on with life, while yours has come to a standstill?
In the beginning amidst the shock and confusion, you received condolences and offers of support from family and friends. Sympathy cards lined the mantlepiece and life went by in a bit of a haze.
But over time you may have come to the realisation that you can't truely talk about how your loss has personally affected you because you feel you have to be strong for those around you or that everyone else is in the midst of life and you don't want to be a ‘burden’. If you've always been the one to care for others, self-care and allowing your own needs to be met may feel unfamiliar and challenging.
It may have even been suggested to you that "time has moved on now" and you should be feeling “better”, which only adds further to your emotional isolation.
You may have tried to maintain your routine with increased focus, perhaps even set yourself on ‘auto-pilot’, doing your upmost to retain some form of ‘normal’ when your world felt surreal.
Perhaps you're waiting for this seemingly never-ending pain to end and you can't see a light at the end of the tunnel right now.
Grief takes many forms and everyone's experience is unique.
Examples of Bereavement and Loss I work with are:
-
The death of a loved one or someone who played a significant role in your life
-
Terminal illness
-
A life-limiting diagnosis
-
Being a carer
-
Loss of routine
-
Transition
-
Change
-
Loss of identity
Clients who have worked with me often say that one of the greatest things that helped them in their therapy through their loss was talking to someone outside of their situation and social circle, where they were free to speak honestly, grieve in the way that they needed to and at their own pace.
Grief isn't something you have to harbour in silence and navigate your way through alone. If you feel ready, maybe now is the time to create that space for yourself to heal.