Grief has been described as a painful emotional reaction to any loss that is significant to an individual, whether that is a person, a job, or an object. Dr. John Schneider, a psychologist who has written extensively about grief, has indicated that successful grieving involves a process of discovering the answers to three questions:
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1) What is lost?
2) What is left?
3) What is possible?
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Oftentimes, grief is thought to be related only to the loss of a significant person in one's life. ​However, grief can occur as a result of anything significant to the individual, such as a job, a marriage,
A VIEW OF GRIEF
​or an object meaningful to one's self-concept. Effective grieving involves acknowledging the loss and exploring one's feelings about the loss so that one becomes able to re-engage in healthy, enjoyable living.
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Not grieving one's losses can result in one or more of the following: not wanting to eat or eating too much, poor sleep, stomach pain, alterations in the heart muscle according to Hairston or other health issues, work addiction, extensive periods of depression and/or anxiety, or alcohol abuse.
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How long the grieving process continues depends on the individual's personality. However, some indicators that one is stuck in the grieving process are: a sense of not progressing in the mourning process after loss, feeling very little joy but instead feeling intense sadness; frequent crying without any relief; and/or going often to the burial plot of the lost person.
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If deep sadness from a loss continues for a prolonged time and interfers with your enjoyment of your life, contact Beth Reimel, LMSW, PhD, licensed healthcare professional, at (616) 551.3884 or via email.