When you experience a loss and you have emotions welling up, what you are experiencing is grief. Grief can feel like a huge wave threatening to knock you down. It feels difficult and every day may feel challenging. You start to wonder when will this be over and will I ever survive.
Grieving has no magical middle and ending. What does happen is that it begins over time to be less intense. We are all different in the way we handle our emotional life. Some people shut down, some people ride the rollar coaster of grief with an outpouring of feelings.
Time is an important factor in helping us deal with grief. Over and over I have heard clients say that even though they still feel their losses, it is not as intense. They can start to come back to their lives again.
What helps individuals with these intense feelings? Again it depends on what kind of person you are. Are you intensely private? Do you do well sharing with people? If you are a very private person, but need to talk to someone, talking to a grief counselor can be helpful. If you learn by interacting with others, a grief group can be very useful. You get to share your story, your pain, and you get to hear how others have dealt with their losses which may help you feel less alone.
If you feel stuck, just know that you don’t have to walk this path alone, you are entitled to have professional help. Being supported can help the healing process in unexpected ways.