Moving Through the Grieving Process
If you have ever lost someone close to you, then you are probably familiar with the stages of grief. The stages are shock or denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. When we say that a person is going through the grieving process, we mean that they are experiencing the emotions that will eventually result in healthy acceptance and the ability to move forward with their life. When someone becomes stuck in the grieving process, it can affect their daily life, including their work and relationships. For example, if a young woman loses her mother after a sudden illness, she may cycle through the grieving process. However, if she stays in one stage too long, like depression, it may interfere with her relationship with her husband and children. She may not want to get out of bed and go to work. She may feel that life is not worth living without her mother. In the above case, the young woman is stuck in complicated grief. She may need counseling to help her move forward. It is not that a person should stop grieving at a specific time after losing a loved one; they just need extra support to get through this season of their life. The grieving process The grieving process can be slow, even if the death of a loved one is imminent. It is estimated that grief can last from six to eight weeks to several months to years. Each person grieves in their own way. The trouble lies when we cannot escape the grief to resume life. When we inadvertently cause problems in our relationships or career or shirk our responsibilities because our minds revolve around the thoughts of loss. Denial or shock. When we first learn about the passing of a loved one, we may go [...]
