Grief: How to cope with life’s losses
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Grief and loss are two separate things but often go hand in hand.
In this week’s Wellness Wednesday, life and mental health coach Cheryl Bridges is helping people cope with the pain that stems from many life experiences.
“When we think about grieving most times we think automatically about the loss, the death of a loved one,” Bridges said. “Grief is not just about losing a loved one, it’s about losing things like losing a job, a divorce, loss of health even loss of independence as a result of a health condition and surprisingly to some — we don’t even think about it — but even retirement is something that people end up grieving because it’s such a huge change because it’s something we had and now we don’t have.”
“Even a childhood home that your family decides to sell is a loss because of the memories,” she added.
When it comes to dealing with grief and loss, Bridges said it is important to go through the natural process of loss by expressing gratitude through the loss, having resilience, integrating the change into your life, expressing your emotions and leaning on your faith.
She also said there is no timeframe for getting over grief.
She said, “There is a thing called complicated grief and that can go on for more than a year. And when that happens you might need more support…and that’s okay.”
According to Bridges, grief can manifest through feelings of sadness and depression. She encourages anyone struggling with it to get professional help.
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