WHAT IS GRIEF?

Grief is a healthy and natural response to losing someone or something that you loved. There is nothing wrong with you and there is nothing to be fixed. Grief is not a disease rather it is a state of dis-ease. Grief is also more than loss related to death. It can be loss of your abilities, your health, relationships, your identity, etc. We never get over big loss, rather we heal and come to a place of integration and understanding.

Grief is the internal expression of loss. It is your thoughts and feelings that you have after losing what is most precious to you. When we express these thoughts and feelings outward our grief becomes mourning. Often what grief needs most is this healthy outward expression in order to heal or simply move forward. Ideally this means we need to be seen, heard, and witnessed in our grief. 

There is a common myth that grief happens in stages. There are no stages but rather many phases of emotions. These emotions can be felt all at once or repeated as we move forward in our grief. There is no expected timeline to grief and no exact trajectory; grief is as unique as you are. 

Grief is like being dropped into the middle of the wilderness without a map, without provisions, and no compass. Your life may feel like it has been completely turned upside down. What may help most is to have someone who has found their way through this wilderness already, someone who will companion you along the way.

“Grief is reaching out for someone or something that has been there for you, only to discover they are missing and will never return.” - Unknown Author