My last blog post I focused on transitions, what they are and how to handle them more effectively. Well a loss can certainly plunge a person into a transition, whether it is loss of a relationship, a job, or even the loss of ability due to an accident or surgery. Loss triggers loss and part of what makes loss so overwhelming can be all the little losses that accompany a big loss. Everything around you can be a reminder of what is missing or gone.
So how do you recover from this? How do you handle something as immense as the loss of a person? It certainly takes time to absorb the shock and process that. We know today that the brain requires many opportunities to talk about a situation in order to fully “digest” it. It can seem redundant for the listener, but a person needs many opportunities to share, reminisce and process. This is not cruel but kind to encourage conversation about the whatever has been lost.
But there are specific ways we can help a person handle their grief. Drowning in grief is not what anyone wants, and family and friends are usually not equipped to really guide a person through grief. It’s unfair to expect them to do this. They can be there in all kinds of other ways but professional help can be much more effective to handle things like anger and rage. Be in touch if you know someone who needs help in dealing with their loss and grief.
“Hope dreams into being what is possible but not yet formed.”
― Sharon Weil