Ways to Cope with Grief and Loss

Ways to Cope with Grief and Loss

Losing a loved one is a difficult thing to go through. The process of grieving that comes after the loss of a loved one is particularly not an easy road. It can affect people in many different ways. Home for Good by Gerald Avila is a novel that particularly talks about the reality of grief and loss. Its story revolves around the character of Jeff Williams, a well-known writer who recently lost his beloved wife to cancer. After losing his wife, Jeff Williams spiraled into emotional and mental turmoil, which eventually affected his writing. But with the help of other people like his close friend Alice and a therapist named Dr. Joan Steele, Jeff Williams was able to overcome his pain. In the real life, there are plenty of effective ways to cope with grief and loss.

Acknowledge your pain

Acknowledgement is the first thing that you need to do to cope with grief and loss. Oftentimes, many people find it difficult to deal with the pain caused by the loss of their loved ones because they refuse to acknowledge the fact that such pain exists to begin with. This is unhealthy, of course. Denial may help you forget about the pain for a while, but in the long run, the suppressed memories of your loss will only come haunting you. Because of this, it is important for you to acknowledge your pain as much as possible. Recognize the fact that you are hurting. In essence, you cannot achieve healing and acceptance unless you admit that you need to.

Express and release your emotions

After acknowledging the fact that you are hurting, the next thing that you need to do is to express and release your emotions no matter how unsettling they are. Sometimes, people, who are in the process of grieving over the loss of their loved ones, choose to remain silent about their pain because they do not want to seem vulnerable to others. When you lose someone you dearly love, vulnerability is really inevitable, but there is nothing wrong with it. Being emotional and vulnerable, especially during difficult times, does not mean that you are weak. It is part of human nature. In order for you to cope with grief and loss, you must allow yourself to be vulnerable. Talk about your feelings, and cry whenever you feel like you need to.

Seek help from other people

Grief is such a painful process. Sometimes, your feelings and pain can become overwhelming enough to affect you and your life. When this occurs, it is important that you seek the help of other people. You do not have to be alone with your feelings and pain. There will always be other people who are willing to help you cope with your grief and loss. Reach out to your family members or friends. If you feel like you need to, you can even ask for help from a professional, such as a psychiatrist or a therapist. This is what the character of Jeff Williams from Home for Good did during his grief process – he sought the assistance of Dr. Joan Steele who helped him carefully move past turmoil.

Take care of yourself

This is perhaps the most important thing that you need to do when you are dealing with grief over the loss of a loved one – you need to take care of yourself. Generally, the process of grieving is emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting. It can take a toll on your overall health. Because of this, it is necessary for you to take good care of yourself. Do not allow yourself to be overpowered by your pain. Eat well, have enough rest, and do things that can minimize your pain in a healthy way. Losing a loved one may be life-changing, but such change does not have to be negative.

Overall, coping with grief and loss may not be easy, but it is necessary. Grief and loss are natural parts of life. They will occur to everyone, including you, whether you like or not. Stories like that of Jeff Williams from Home for Good by Gerald Avila can help you realize the painful reality of grieving over the loss of a loved one. But at the same time, these kinds of stories assure you that no matter how difficult the process is, you can always overcome your pain if you just put your mind into it. Hopefully, the things mentioned in this article will help you cope with whatever it is that you are feeling right now.