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Mindfulness-based Grief Counseling in Decatur, GA, and online FL
It is difficult to lose someone we love, and the grief process can be overwhelming. Mindfulness-based grief therapy can help us to cope in a more mindful way.
Loss is something that everyone experiences at some point in their lives. While it is a natural part of life, grieving a loss can be one of the most difficult things you will ever go through.
What is grief?
Grief is a human experience that occurs after a loss. Grief can result in a plethora of overwhelming emotions. These include anger, shock, fear, and disbelief. Grief comes with the death of a loved one. Also with divorce, miscarriage, and job loss. Less understood yet true with normalcy loss and loss of possibilities among others.
Other definitions include:
Loss - refers to no longer having somebody or something.
Bereavement - refers to the loss of someone through death
Mourning - refers to cultural expressions of grief
Characteristics of grief
The grief journey is like a roller coaster with many twists and turns. At the start of the journey, a person is not able to see the reality of the loss, this is Shock. Aspects of shock include: disbelief, numbness, and searching.
The next leg of the grief journey is feeling the impact of the loss. This leg has no time limit, it is Disorganization. Aimlessness, anguish, anxiety, avoidance, confusion, forgetfulness, isolation, and yearning are on this leg. The most prominent symptoms here are depression, guilt, hopelessness, and sleeplessness.
With intentional work toward healing, we reach the final leg, Reorganization. In this experience, there is control over remembering, new choices, priorities, and meaning. A new normal and rebuilding a satisfying life is the goal.
Here are some things to remember:
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It will get better! Even though it may seem impossible. Try and remember that this will not last forever and that you WILL feel better.
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You are strong. This can be hard to remember especially when you have lost someone or are coping with grief. Take some time to reflect and believe that you are only becoming stronger and more resilient.
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Seek the support of friends and loved ones. Don’t avoid the people who love and care about you.
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Look into a support group. Sometimes it helps to know that you are not alone. We are in this process and on this journey with those who have experienced a similar loss.
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Don’t lose your creativity, hobbies, and interests. It can be very helpful to write down/journal the way that you feel. Continuing your hobbies and interests will also help you to feel better as you are doing what you enjoy.
Mindfulness-based grief counseling
Mindfulness-based grief therapy can help us to find peace and acceptance of our grief. By learning to be more mindful, we can take care of ourselves and our loved ones as we journey through loss.
Through mindfulness, we can learn to be more compassionate towards ourselves and others. We can also learn to be more patient as we heal from our loss.
There is no right or wrong way to grieve and everyone copes with loss in different ways. It is important to allow yourself to go through grief in your own time and in your own way. Giving ourselves permission to grieve is an important first step.
Feeling the feelings is another important step. Humans in general do not like discomfort. We will avoid, stuff, distract ourselves, and self-medicate not to feel. The way to healing is through feeling and it's a one-way street. Use a feelings chart to connect to emotions in the body.
Next steps
If you are struggling to cope with a loss, it is important to seek out support from family and friends. There are also many support groups. Grief counseling in Decatur, GA is available.
Remember, there is no shame in asking for help when you are grieving. Reach out to a therapist or grief counselor. Seeking help will allow you to work toward healing. Mindfulness-based grief counseling is the method we use. Process your emotions and learn coping strategies/behaviors.
