Archive for category Mental Health
7 Stages of Grief
Posted by admin in Mental Health on April 25, 2011
Grief is not an illness though it may lead to symptoms of illness. Upset stomach and severe headache are some of the effects experienced by a person in grief. People who are in grief cry a lot and they experience loss of appetite. The sleeping pattern is disturbed in grief and it leads to a weak immune system due to the stress involved in coping with it. Grieving time depends on the nature of loss experienced and differs from person to person. There is no fixed amount of time for grieving. Kubler-Ross model of the 7 stages of grief was introduced in the book On Death and Dying written by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. Following is a brief description of the seven stages of grief.
Shock and Denial
In this stage, the person suffers from shock on knowing about the loss. Shock is a self defense stage of the mind and the outcome of it, many a times, is denial of the facts that have actually happened. A person in grief thinks that he is dreaming and he cannot / refuses to accept the grief causing situation. The time for which this stage lasts cannot be determined. Simple tasks and decisions cannot be carried out by a person in shock.
Pain and Guilt
At this stage, the grieving person realizes that the loss that has happened is true. This is the most chaotic and scary stage of grief. Many people succumb to alcohol and drugs at this stage of grief. Intense feelings of guilt and compunction are experienced due to the wrong things done which led to this irreversible loss. Sometimes, in grief, people blame themselves and consider themselves responsible for the loss.
Anger
The next stage of the 7 stages of grief is anger. The person may get angry due to the injustice that has happened to him or he may get angry over a person responsible for the loss in his life. Anger management is necessary at this stage of grief. Read the rest of this entry »
How to Deal with Grief
Posted by admin in Mental Health on April 20, 2011
Of the wide spectrum of human emotions, grief is probably the most profound one. It’s very difficult to come to term with the loss or death of a loved one, and it may take days and even years to come out of the shock. One goes through a gamut of feelings which starts with denial – ‘This can’t be happening to me’. This is followed by guilt, anger and depression. Every individual goes through the 7 stages of grief till he/she finally accepts the loss. This journey can be emotionally stressful during which one is vulnerable to suffer from ailments and even fall prey to addictions like alcoholism and drug abuse. Hence it is very important to know how to deal with grief.
Ways to Deal with Grief
Accept the Truth: You can’t get your loved one back by denying the truth. Accept the loss. Talk to friends and family, a loved one who would understand what you are going through, or someone who has suffered the same loss. You would be amazed at how light and relieved you feel after having poured your heart out. Write a journal and then destroy it if you fear that someone might read it. It’s all about letting those feelings out. Keeping one’s emotions locked away will only accentuate and prolong the pain.
Feel the Pain: This might feel ridiculous at the stage when the pain of losing a loved one feels like a sharp stab in the chest. But believe me, feeling the pain will work in shortening the grieving period. The more that you keep shoving away the pain the more it will torment you. Deal with it and it will end. Otherwise it will keep resurfacing throughout one’s life and interfere in relationship with others.
Adjust to the New Life: Learn to live in the environment in which the loved is no longer there. Visit the places that both of you used to go to. Spend time at home without the loved one around. Celebrate anniversaries. Face every aspect of life of which he/she was an integral part. The first time you do this it will be immensely painful but with time it will become easier to deal with the grief and loss. Read the rest of this entry »