Grief, Loss and dying

Grief, Loss and Dying

Loss, bereavement, grief, and mourning are some of the most stressful life experiences people will endure. Grief and loss profoundly influence our biological, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being and can make the body and mind vulnerable to illness (Peña-Vargas et al., 2021). At the same time, experiences with grief and loss are nearly universal—talk with anyone, and chances are high that they have lost a grandparent, parent, partner, child, friend, or co-worker.  

However, despite this fact, few people know how to effectively cope with grief, or how to support someone else (Cacciatore et al., 2021). This is especially true with disenfranchised grief, when people are not “allowed” to mourn, such as after a miscarriage or death by suicide (Robson & Walter, 2012). In addition to losses of loved ones, many of us experience loss in other forms; children growing up and leaving the family unit, retiring from your identity as a professional, loss of a friendship, and many others.

Whatever your experience, “It’s okay that you’re not okay.” Not knowing how to cope with personal grief or how to support someone else in theirs can pose problems when families experience a loss together (Worden, 2009). Each family member may be deeply hurting but respond to their hurt in vastly different ways. While one person may want to talk and share memories right away, another may need time before they are ready for these conversations. Neither of these approaches is necessarily “better” or “normal.” They are simply different (Devine, 2017).