Grief
Symptoms:
Sadness that a loved one’s gone but relief that they’re at peace.
Yearning for a spouse after a divorce but also excitement that you get another shot at love.
Guilt for feeling grateful that you no longer have to provide exhausting around-the-clock care for a dying relative.
Competing feelings of apathy, anger, sadness and regret as you grieve the loss of a friend or family member with whom you had a strained or hostile relationship.
Confusion.
Trouble thinking or making decisions.
Feeling as if you’ve lost a sense of hope or direction.
Difficulty focusing on anything other than your loss.
Difficulty remembering or keeping track of your responsibilities.
Feel as if a part of yourself is lost or has died.
Don’t believe that the death or loss has occurred.
Avoid reminders of the death or loss.
Experience intense emotional pain relating to the loss that interferes with daily living.
Feel emotionally numb, lonely or as if your life doesn’t have meaning or purpose.
Find it difficult to live life, make plans with friends, participate in activities you enjoy or make decisions for the future.
“Denial: You may have difficulty accepting that a loss is real.
Anger: You may direct anger at multiple sources, including people who couldn’t save a loved one, God, yourself — or even no one in particular.
Bargaining: You may imagine reaching an agreement, so you don’t have to deal with a loss. You may also regret past actions that you imagine could’ve spared you from loss.
Depression: You may experience the complex emotions associated with depression, including emotional detachment.
Acceptance: Eventually, most people embrace the reality of loss even if the pain’s still there.”
Information obtained from the Cleveland Clinic (2023)