What are the most effective coping mechanisms for grief and loss?

Grief is a beast - there's no way around it. We talk about how grief is different for everyone — and that's important to remember; however, we must recognize that others are suffering alongside us. Connectivity is a powerful thing. A helpful part of healing from grief is to grieve and mourn with others. You may feel alone and/or physically be alone — but your feelings are just as important as the next person. Share your grief... we want to hear.

The first step is always to acknowledge your emotions. Is it easy? Not at all. Especially if you've been taught to suppress bad, painful human emotions. There is fear of being judged, misunderstood or making others feel uncomfortable. The thing to remember is that no one will understand the depth of your feelings and it's not for them to understand. And that's because grief is as individual as a handprint. Here's another thing to remember: there is more strength in vulnerability than in hiding behind a mask of strength. Feel it, allow it to process through and you are one step ahead in your healing journey.

Respeitando todas as cren?as, mas considerando o que eu acredito e aceito, n?o vivemos apenas esta vida. A vida é um contínuo infinito no universo, ou seja, nosso espírito permanece, e reencarnamos para uma existência em busca de evolu??o e felicidade. Diante disto o luto é um momento de dor, pois ainda olhamos com apego a esta “vida” temporária aqui na terra. Quando compreendemos que permanecemos vivos e podemos falar em sonhos com nossos entes e orar por eles, nos traz leveza e confian?a de um futuro de reencontro. Ha tempo de luto, e n?o existe um período padr?o, cada um tem tempo de passar por isto. Pedir aos seres de luz o amparo e acolhimento que ele tenha luz e seja aben?oado

Loss and hence grief are a normal part of life from the melting of a snowman to the loss of a spouse. One's overall view of life and values can contribute to how loss is handled. Additionally, a circle of support made up of family, friends and professionals can go a long way in dealing with grief. Understanding that grief and loss are just as real as a broken arm or cut finger...each needs attention and healing.

I too have experienced many losses. Each one has been painful. What I have learnt so far: Firstly, take the time you need to grieve. Take good care of yourself, as far as possible. Grief doesn't just go away, it needs to be lived through and endured. Those who do not accept this feeling will only suffer all the longer. It is not the search for the why that helps - but possibly the search for what for? What do YOU want to make of this event? What can YOU LEARN from it? What can you CONTRIBUTE NOW? In the end, each of us will die - the question is how we lived before. And what has also helped me a lot in dealing with the losses in my life: Focusing on gratitude, for what has been instead of what is now no longer possible.

One of the biggest myths of grief is to "Grief Alone". Grief is painful, messy, overwhelming and different for everyone. And it's one of the toughest journey's to navigate ALONE. Sharing how you feel with others can be scary because we never know what they will say or how they will respond. The key is to start your conversation by letting the person know you just need someone to listen and to acknowledge your feelings. If they say 'yes', now you have a safe space to speak your emotional truth. Leaning on those who care for you can be a gift for them because most want to help but don't know how. I highly encourage you to seek professional help at some point. Learning the right tools to heal is essential to long term healing.

We need others in our times of joy and in our times of sorrow. However… some people cannot bear the suffering of others and may offer unhelpful clichés like, “Be strong.” in the face of tears. Know who can be with you in ways that are supportive of your grieving - allowing you to process what you feel without interruption or redirection. And know who can help with a practical task - like meal prep. We need many forms of support.

A busca por ajuda em fundamental, quer seja psicólogo, terapeutas, entre outros. Importante este apoio para compreender o momento, n?o para menospreza-lo, mas por que é necessário seguir. Por mais difícil que seja, remoer esta despedida n?o vai mudar os fatos, ent?o precisa encontrar momento de encerrar o luto para continuar sua caminhada. Que você receba toda ajuda necessários e seja aben?oado!

The biggest aspect here is gaining support from the right people. People who can truly hold space for you as you navigate your grief. This in itself is less than easy. Many friends and family members, whilst well meaning, often hold their own issues with grief, with seeing someone they love in pain, and with holding space non-judgementally about the individual experience that the grief brings up. Many want to 'fix' the issue. Setting ground rules about what's ok for you, discovering what help and support looks and feels like for you, and creating strong boundaries is often the main path to healing, but knowing that you have the power to do this often comes from being shown the way by someone who has walked a journey of grief themselves.

We need each other. We also need to be careful about saying to someone, "If you need anything, just text, or call, or ask." That's really helpful. It might be better to simply schedule to call or text someone and say, "How can I help you today, or this week? I want to help." Then let them decide how or if they need you at that moment. Then schedule it again for next week, or next month. People won't ask for help, generally. Even though they may need it. Take the initiative yourself, instead of expecting them to seek the support.

Having suffered a great loss - the loss of a child - my life took on new meaning and direction. The grief was so heavy that I made it a point to prioritize joy. This meant removing myself from people, relationships, and situations that were negative in nature or that depleted my energy. I had to be intentional about my healing, understanding that I would always have a void in my heart. As other contributors have shared, the grief never fully goes away but rather dulls over time. Today, I integrate my daughter into my life by celebrating milestones and special moments that we shared, and by teaching her little brother about his amazing sister in Heaven.

I lost my father to war when I was 15 and my mother when I was in my early 40's. Grief never truly goes away, it dulls over time as memories fade but the single biggest help I found to to talk about how I am feeling. Not "i miss them" "I'm sad" but really visceral feelings that are normal in grief and that sometimes flood back without warning. I encountered this recently when revisiting the Falkand Islands for the first time after 40 years where my dad was KIA - really simple triggers took me right back to being 15 again. As men we don't talk enough about our feelings - properly talk... and often we carry around baggage for many years without fully realising.

Acknowledging and allowing oneself to express the emotions. In a world in which we are conditioned to suppress emotions since young, it is easier said than done. However, it is the most important thing to do. What can be helpful? 1) With people: Reach out to someone to talk things out and express yourself. Allow yourself to talk and experience the emotions, fully! 2) Alone: Another way that works is to write down all the thoughts, emotions, and feelings. Write as long as you need until you’ve nothing else to write. 3) Sing: Pick the song that hits that emotional button and situation. Sing your lungs out! Or simply, do all three above. In case you’re in a situation where you want a pair of listening ears, do reach out. Love ??

One thing I found extremely helpful as a new widow was writing down 3 things I was grateful for that day. Somedays it was as simple as "I had a wash" other days I was grateful for visits with friends, or my own good health. I also used drawings of smiley or sad faces to sum up my day and on bad day flicking back and reminding myself that smiles were possible was very helpful. I also wrote a blog to help get stuff out of my heart and head - I doubt anyone read it - that wasn't really the point. If you're not a writer than drawing or colouring may be better.

In my experience after losing my mother, expressing myself turned out to be so critical to starting to heal. I talked with family, people who knew her and sought professional help to be comfortable expressing myself. I also found that writing about her or to her made a big difference in how I keep her memory alive and cherish the memories of her in my life.

Meaning often comes in ways that we are not expecting. Often meaning comes from the learning a loss provides. Ultimately, loss changes you. You are not the same person you were before the loss, your values may shift, things that may have been of utmost importance before a loss may be reprioritized. Suddenly work becomes less important than people. Keeping in touch with loved ones across miles and time zones becomes critical. Taking vacations and self-care for reflection and restoration are no longer pushed back.

You may wonder why this happened to you, or what purpose it serves. You may also question your beliefs, values, or identity. While you may not find clear answers, you can try to find some positive aspects or lessons from your loss. For example, you may appreciate life more, discover new strengths, or reconnect with your spirituality. By finding meaning, you can make sense of your loss and find hope for the future.

My father died 35 years ago and his best friend died just 6 weeks ago. Going to his funeral, sharing memories and feelings from their friendship with others and connecting with them over our experiences of loss were such powerful experiences - poignant, uplifting, sad and wonderful at the same time. I so often talk with people about how time doesn't heal grief, but that our relationship with our grief can and will change - it's good to have a direct lesson again for myself! I think it's someting about learning to dance or surf with your grief - I'm no good at either dancing or surfing so feel free to insert your own analogy :-)

Finding meaning in grief and loss is difficult and yet rewarding if we can reach the understanding of why and how. In a world of pain you must look for meaning as it pertains and defines you ! You being the individual a young person Losing a key parent; how do you go forward? Or the opposite an older person losing a father or mother to dementia or MS. For one it’s catastrophic but for the ladder it could give relief. There is no one size fits all in this. At the end of the day as some religions look at it in grief sometimes it’s best to let go let God ! Easier said than done !

Searching for the “why” can drive you mad. You may find it, you might not. But who are you? Does the situation make you question yourself? Your beliefs? The world? Good. Question everything. How do you know what is worth believing if you don’t question? How do you derive your identity without testing a few for fit? How can you help others when you don’t know who you are or what you believe? I’ve known people who hid from themselves for decades by helping others. The fallout was catastrophic. Regardless of what happened, know yourself and seek to improve. Without a core set of beliefs, finding meaning in a time of crisis is highly unlikely.

I agree with this. It is hard to remember ourselves when we are dealing with grief. It is essentially to know it is not selfish it is necessary to keep yourself healthy for loved ones around you.

Self care, when done appropriately, viewed as preventative maintenance is a baseline for success. You can’t drive a car with no fuel and you cannot navigate daily life and relationships without proper rest and sleep. Trauma can influence us into thinking we deserve to suffer. In some cases this leads to a disruption in normal daily life. Sleep patterns, diet, exercise, healthy relationships, can all become deregulated. Restore the balance as soon as the situation allows. The human body functions best in regimented cycles. It took me 10+ years to figure out I was the person holding me back.

I found it hard to feed myself when my husband died - I could not summon up the energy or interest in food (a very different feeling for me) I knew that I should eat better. I did eat a lot of junk but I also took a lot of supplements and in the short term this was an OK solution - I had some good stuff coming in until I was ready to step up and find the energy to shop/cook/eat. Recognise you can't run on empty for long so whether we are talking nutritional fuel or emotional fuel find a way to get some in each day.

Building a process of grief that fits your style and need. Build a community of support and loved ones. Invest in hope, find ways to believe in your future self being healed and stronger.

In der Phase der Trauer habe ich nicht auf mich aufgepasst! Warum auch. Es war mir alles egal. Glücklicherweise habe ich in dieser Zeit andere junge Witwe kennengelernt und so haben wir auf uns gegenseitig aufgepasst. Darauf geschaut, dem Anderen etwas Gutes zu tun. Werden gemeinsam nach Dingen gesucht, die uns glücklich machen. Uns gegenseitig unterstützt, nach neuen Hobbys Ausschau zu halten, denn nun war sehr viel freie Zeit da. Regelm??ig haben wir uns im Kloster Arenberg in der N?he von Koblenz eine Auszeit geg?nnt und die dortigen Seminare besucht.

Working through grief and loss doesn't have to be an isolated pursuit. Talking with professionals to gain perspective on loss and to learn to integrate its lessons is a key opportunity for growth. Remember, you are grieving your singular relationship, no one else is grieving the same one.

Yes. Seek out knowledgeable companions who are outside of your circles of kinship and friendship. Clergy, coaches, therapists. We all need someone - who is not a friend -,to talk to when our life has unraveled.

Grief and loss are normal and natural responses to a significant change or loss, but sometimes they can become complicated or chronic, interfering with your daily functioning and quality of life. If you experience symptoms such as persistent sadness, guilt, anger, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts, it's essential to consult with a qualified personal coach, therapist, or counselor. They can help you work through your issues and find healthy ways to cope and heal.

Just as we need others to be respectful of our needs for the loss we've experienced, we need to provide that to others who have lost the same individual. We need to remember their relationships. After my husband passed, I walked around in a state of shock for weeks, doing my best to keep moving for me and my girls. Then it struck me that my husband's mother just lost her son. His father lost his firstborn. His sister just lost her brother. Friends were mourning their friend. Their grief was just as painful and unique as mine. While I didn't have the means to be there for them on their journeys in the way they probably needed me to be, I could at least bring the compassion, empathy, and respect that each of their lost relationships deserved.

One thing I’ve found helpful is getting out of the house. Go for a walk, joyride on a bike around the city or take a stroll through the country. Fresh air and nature will help you release the pressure and help you breathe. I quite often hear people declare that they feel stuck or unable to breathe. Leaving the house and moving your body will help.

Something critical to consider is that you are grieving a relationship that is different from any other that the person had with anyone else. Your grief is individual and you need to grieve the relationship and what has been lost in ways that are unique to that relationship.

My friend, Randy Becton, often coached the bereft to be gentle and accepting of themselves. And to forgive the silly people who HAVE to say things when they’d be much MORE helpful if they’d just shut up.

It's helpful to consider that there is no one way to grieve. As much as it is appealing to imagine that we will step through Kubler-Ross' Five Stages of Grief in an orderly manner and be "done", it's a complex process that is different for each person. I am not throwing shade on Dr. Kubler-Ross's work but I believe that it has been misinterpreted by her critics, leading many to believe that grief is straightforward and it is anything but that. However, you don't have to suffer through grief alone. Many local religious and community organizations offer support groups for people suffering with loss, offering participants a chance to be around others who really do understand. Therapy can also provide support to those dealing with loss.