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Grief and loss

Loss is a part of life that everyone has to deal with at some point. Oftentimes we associate grief with the loss of a loved one, but there is also grief associated with other changes in life (see Phase of life issues-hyperlink). No matter the type of loss you are experiencing, grief is a natural emotional response to it. This pain and emotional suffering can be crushing. Coping with loss is probably one of the most difficult challenges any of us face in this life, and having a support system is essential for healing and finding hope or joy in life again.

This program is perfect for you if...

if you're dealing with grief and loss and seeking effective ways to cope with your emotions and find healing.

Whether you've lost a loved one, experienced a significant life change, or are struggling with feelings of grief and sadness, this program can provide you with the support and guidance you need to process your emotions and move forward in a healthy way. With a range of evidence-based therapies like grief counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and mindfulness practices, you'll learn how to navigate the complex emotions of grief, develop healthy coping strategies, and find a sense of meaning and purpose in your life moving forward. With the support of experienced professionals and a community of peers who share your experience, you'll be able to achieve meaningful progress towards finding healing and creating a meaningful, fulfilling life after loss.

How can it affect your life?

Grief affects us in all areas of life, especially emotionally and physically. It even has effects on our behavior or normal temperament. These emotions are typically quite intense and even when you feel like you’re having an okay day, it can pop up from a reminder or something someone says to you. Especially initially, there may be shock, unbelief, or denial. Anger, guilt, and profound sadness typically accompanies this initial reaction. Often times loss feels like the foundation of your life has been ripped out under your feet and causes depression, anxiety, loneliness or extreme sadness.
This can affect you behaviorally as well. You may feel like you’ve lost a sense of yourself or that the grief is so unbearable that it doesn’t feel right to carry on with “normal” life. The grief often affects your brain health and the weight of all the intense emotions can cause cloudiness in your mind or ability to think.
This emotional stress takes a toll on your physical health as well. Grief often causes a cortisol (stress hormone) response that can make you feel lethargic or continually exhausted. It can cause changes in your sleep patterns, changes in your appetite, nausea or an aversion to food, headaches, inflammation in your body, and unexplained aches and pains.

How can I get help for it?

Learning good coping skills that are needed to deal with the intensity of grief is key. We may feel that we can heal overtime if we ignore what’s happened, that we need to just be strong, we should quickly move on to the next thing, or even an urge that we have to live in a constant state of mourning because moving on means you forget about your loss. These things typically end up delaying our healing or burying it inside to inevitably come to the surface at a later date. Facing the grief and the aftermath that comes with it is so important to our healing. Healing is a process that takes a varied amount of time for all of us. At Hope Restored, one of our counselors would love to walk you through the healing process. Oftentimes grief can cause us to not know our left from our right and having someone to partner with you can make all the difference in finding peace and hope after loss.