Grief is a normal, human emotion that is felt after experiencing some kind of loss. Grief is meant to be temporary and shouldn’t have any permanent effects on your day to day functioning.
Complicated grief, on the other hand, is more persistent and can be disruptive to your daily life. The intensity of your grief may seem to remain a constant rather than steady decline when moving through the stages.
If you’ve been experiencing grief for longer than six months, you’ve probably received a diagnosis of complicated grief. You might be wondering what comes next.
Understand the Grieving Process
Each person living with any type of grief will have a unique and personal experience. Both depression and anxiety can develop during the extended grieving process. It’s also possible for PTSD to occur. In an effort to cope with grief, alcohol and substance use may sound like a good idea, but can turn into abuse and unsafe practices.
Grief can lead to malnutrition, dehydration, and sleep deprivation. Any combination of these three can cause heart and blood pressure issues.
Plan for Tough Times
When it comes to grief, you never know for sure when it’s going to hit and send you on a downward swing. Being prepared for situations so you’re not caught off guard is a good defense tool.
You may have some forewarning on when a difficult time is coming, so you can mentally prepare for that. Plan how you want to interact with that situation and how to use that time.
Similarly, any special events will probably be scheduled ahead of time. Milestones don’t stop because there was a loss. Find ways in which you can still celebrate, no matter how tough the time, and still find some joy in the milestone.
Remember to Find Joy
After loss, the word joy can be pretty loaded. You’re healing from loss, so how are you supposed to find joy?
As mentioned above, use those milestone events as a motivating reason to celebrate. Identify other excuses to give yourself some relief from the grief and find some sense of happiness.
Take Care of Yourself
It’s important to remember to give yourself some grace during periods of grief, especially with the complicated version. You need to make sure you’re taking care of yourself, allowing yourself the change to feel all your emotions. Don’t be afraid to take any amount of time you need.
Let others help out when they offer. Sometimes it takes a village to conquer this sadness and loss.
As a part of taking care of yourself, it’s important to engage in self-care practices. Get the right amount of rest, exercise, engage in healthy coping strategies, do activities that promote rest and relaxation, and get out to get fresh air.
Remain Connected with Others
Grief may make you feel alone or push you to isolate yourself voluntarily. While this can seem tempting, it’s important to maintain your social connections with friends and family.
Use your social circle as support to get through the hard days, to have some fun with, or to lean on when you physically need something. Connection is crucial during times of grief.
Join a Support Group
Navigating the arduous journey can be exponentially easier when you have someone to help lead you along. While your friends and family can be good support, if they haven’t lived through it themselves, they may not fully understand.
Support groups offer a network of people who share similar stories and can be inspiring and helpful to you.
Seek Treatment
Sometimes you might just need a bit of extra help through professional means. If your grief is becoming increasingly troubling and interfering with important aspects of your life, this can be a good outlet.
If you would like to gain more understanding of your grief situation and receive resources, contact us to schedule an appointment for grief counseling.
