When most people think of grieving, they think of the kind that occurs after a person dies. While this is one type of loss, there are many other times in life when we grieve the loss of something important to us. The grieving process may never be over in some cases, but with support and self-care you can help yourself through the grieving process on your own terms.

What is Grief?

Grief is a normal response to loss. It’s a process of healing, letting go, mourning and change that allows you to move forward with your life. It's a process of growth and change.

The Stages of Grief

When someone loses a loved one, they can experience a range of feelings and reactions. As you grieve, you may have difficulty accepting your loss. You might feel like it isn't real or that it's not happening to you. Grief is usually a long process that involves many ups and downs—it can take months or years to fully accept the reality of the loss.

Grief is often categorised into five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance (also referred to as resolution). While everyone grieves differently, these are some common stages that many people go through when they lose someone close to them.

Understanding Denial

Denial is when someone does not want to believe what happened in order to avoid dealing with the pain associated with death or other loss. When someone dies suddenly due to an accident or illness without having time for anyone around them (including family members) who love them dearly enough' then denial may help ease their pain until some time has passed so that they can begin grieving properly without feeling overwhelmed by sadness at once.' However,' if there was warning about impending death because its cause was known beforehand then this stage won't apply!'

Physical Symptoms of Grief and Loss

• Sudden weight loss or gain
• Sudden change in appetite
• Insomnia or excessive sleep
• Increased or decreased energy levels, fatigue and exhaustion
• Headaches, especially migraines that are different than usual headaches; neck pain; back pain
• Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed; feeling disconnected from others around you
• Trouble concentrating on things like reading, writing, and even watching television. Inability to concentrate may lead to difficulty making decisions and remembering new information
• Irritability (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome)
• Anxiety (e.g., panic attacks)
• Depression (e.g., sadness) and suicidal thoughts may occur during the initial phases of grief but are often resolved by stage 5 (resolution).

Types of Grief and Loss

There are many types of loss, and grief is a normal part of the grieving process. Each person will process their loss differently, so it's important to understand that you may feel more or less emotion than someone else who has experienced the same kind of loss. For example, one person may be able to cope with death and continue living his/her life normally after just a few days; another person may take years to recover from a similar experience. As you go through your own grief journey, remember that there are no right or wrong ways to grieve—the only thing that matters is how you personally cope with your emotions as they come up during this time in your life.

Seeking Professional Support for Grieving and Loss

If you feel like you need to talk with someone, consider reaching out to a grief counsellor or therapist. They can help you work through your feelings during this difficult time. You can also turn to your religious leader or spiritual adviser for guidance, as well. If you prefer talking with others who are going through the same thing as you are, join a support group for people who have experienced loss. Friends and family members may be able to offer emotional support, tool.

Taking Care of Yourself While Grieving

Taking care of your physical, mental, social, spiritual and financial health while you are grieving is important. It’s also important to take care of your emotional health.

• Physical Health: You might notice symptoms such as weight loss or gain, fatigue or exhaustion (you may not feel like doing anything), headaches or stomach aches (you can’t stop thinking about the loss), changes in sleeping patterns (you can’t sleep at night; you wake up early in the morning). The best way to manage these symptoms is by getting enough rest and eating healthy foods that will give you energy so that you can get through each day.
• Mental Health:It’s also important for people who are grieving over the death of a loved one to get help with their mental health needs because it’s common for people who are grieving over someone they love deeply (like a parent or child) to experience anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after they lose their loved ones unexpectedly due to sudden accidents like car crashes or shootings; this could cause flashbacks where they see images from when their loved ones died repeatedly throughout every day which makes them think about past events too much instead of focusing on other things happening around them today so it causes them difficulty concentrating on tasks at work/school which makes them unable to do well there causing problems until someone helps out with those things first before trying again later today once everyone's had time off work/school already finished already

Grief is a normal, though painful, response to loss. It is multifaceted and those who grieve often experience emotional, physical, and social effects as they try to adjust to life without the one they loved. In most cases, these feelings lessen over time and do not cause long-term problems. If you are struggling to cope with grief or if you feel your grief is beyond what might be considered "normal" it can help to seek support through a professional counsellor.