Common Responses to Grief
The following are all natural and normal responses to grief:
- A feeling of tightness in the throat or heaviness in the chest
- An empty feeling in the stomach and loss of appetite
- Restlessness and a need for activity, accompanied by an inability to concentrate
- A feeling that the loss isn't real, that it didn't actually happen
- A sense of the loved one's presence, such as finding yourself expecting the person to walk in the door at the usual time, hearing their voice or seeing their face
- Aimless wandering, forgetfulness and inability to finish things you've started
- Difficulty sleeping, frequent dreams about your loved one
-
A tendency to assume the mannerisms or traits of your
loved one - An intense preoccupation with the life of the deceased
- Intense anger at the loved one for leaving you
- A need to take care of other people who seem uncomfortable around you, by politely not talking about the feelings of loss
- A need to tell, retell and remember things about the loved one and the experience of their death
- Crying at unexpected times.
