Experiencing the pain of grief includes the literal physical pain that many people experience and the emotional and behavioral pain associated with loss. It is necessary to acknowledge and work through this pain or it will manifest itself through some symptom or other form of aberrant behavior.
COMMON REACTIONS TO GRIEF
Emotional Reactions
- Numbness
- Confusions
- Sadness
- Guilt
- Yearning
- Despair
- Hopelessness
- Helplessness
- Feeling of being lost
- Anger
- Bitterness
Physical Reactions
- Deep sighing
- Weakness and fatigue
- Rapid heartbeat
- Increased blood pressure
- Decrease in activity
- Muscular tension
- Sleep disturbances
- Decreased resistance to illness
- Weight and appetite change
- Neglect self
- Increased sensory awareness
Behavioral Reactions
- Blameful of others
- Apathetic regarding activities
- Preoccupied
- Crying
- Seeking solitude
- Seeking forgiveness
- Searching for what was lost
- Detached from surroundings
- Disoriented to time and place
- Withdrawn from friends and activities
- Unable to concentrate
Being able to identify the common reactions lets you know that the feelings you are having are considered normal for people in grief. However, identifying and coping with these reactions can be extremely difficult. Please call the funeral home for information regarding local support groups and bereavement counselors. Sometimes just knowing there is someone to talk to can relieve some of the emotional, physical and behavioral reactions.
