Grief & Loss Debriefing
Loss of a loved one, or the death of a peer can feel traumatic. Creative Living Center is here to help you cope with your emotions during these difficult times, and to prepare you to navigate the world without the presence of the loved one, relative, co-worker or individual who passed away.
You may benefit from Grief & Loss Debriefing Services after:
- Divorce or relationship breakup
- Losing a job
- Loss of health
- Loss or significant decrease of financial stability
- A miscarriage
- Retirement
- Death of a pet
- Loss of a cherished dream
- Serious illness of a loved one
- Loss of safety after a trauma
- Loss of a friendship
- Selling the family home
Watch for these symptoms:
- Shock and disbelief. Including: feelings of numbness & trouble believing the event happened
- Sadness. Including: feelings of emptiness, despair, yearning, loneliness and feeling emotionally unstable
- Anger. Including: being angry at yourself, doctors, God, or even the person who died
- Fear. Including: feelings of anxiousness, helplessness, or insecurity. Possibly including panic-attacks and deep questioning about mortality and life
- Physical symptoms. Including: tiredness, nausea, low immune system, trouble sleeping, weight loss or gain, and aches
- Grief is a natural response to loss
- The feeling of grief is more intense based on the significance of the loss
- Subtle losses can lead to grief
- Everyone grieves differently
- There is no normal timeline for grieving
FACT: You don’t need to “protect” your family or friends by hiding your feelings. Showing your true emotions can help them and you.
MYTH: If you don’t cry, you aren’t sorry about the loss.
FACT: There are many normal responses to sadness. Some people may experience deep grief but may not cry. Often they simply have other ways of showing it.
MYTH: Grief should last about a year.
FACT: There is no universal timeline for grieving. How long it takes to recover depends on the person.
- Denial: “This can’t be happening”
- Anger: “Why is this happening? Is someone to blame?”
- Bargaining: “Make this not happen, and I will _______”
- Depression: “I’m too sad to do anything about this”
- Acceptance: “I feel at peace with what happened”
Please keep in mind:
The stages of grief are often messy and can be experienced out of order. As well, not everyone goes through each stage; it is not necessary for all people to go through each stage in order to heal.