Coping with Grief

Get the Help You Deserve

Coping with grief is incredibly difficult, but it is something that everyone must go through in life. For over six decades, SMA Healthcare has been providing crucial behavioral healthcare services in Florida to help our community members better process grief, eventually regain their well-being, and adapt to their new, changed life. If you are struggling with grief, depression, feeling alone, or knowing how to move forward, our team of professionals can provide the services you need. Whether you need someone to talk to you or need somewhere safe to be, we can provide that for you. We provide comprehensive services to many counties here in Florida. Grief isn’t meant to be processed alone. We can help. Contact us today.

What is Grief?

Grief is something that, unfortunately, everyone will deal with in their lifetime. It’s the natural process of coping with significant losses. Grief is mental distress or suffering caused by loss, typically associated with the death of a loved one. Struggling with grief is a very difficult and personal process. While it may look different for each of us, there are some ways and resources to help cope with grief in a healthy manner.

Knowing What to Expect

While grief looks different for everyone, there are many difficult and unexpected emotions that usually accompany it. These emotional symptoms of grief include:

• Denial
• Disbelief
• Confusion
• Shock
• Sadness
• Despair
• Yearning
• Anger
• Humiliation
• Guilt

These emotions are very normal reactions to loss. While feeling them, you may start to doubt the stability of your mental health. That is also very normal. These emotions can be intense and long-lasting, with sharp mood swings, but they are extremely appropriate and can help you come to terms with your loss.

There are also many physical phenomena that you may experience during this process. These physical symptoms of grief include:

• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Lowered immunity
• Weight loss/weight gain
• Aches and pains
• Insomnia

For help treating these physical symptoms, contact our team at SMA Healthcare.

Coping with Grief

Dealing with loss can take a toll on your mental health and even lead to experiencing symptoms of depression. Allowing yourself to take the time to grieve is important and accepting the loss of your loved one can come at different stages for different people. Mental Health America has a few ways to effectively cope with the pain of loss:

• Spend time with caring and compassionate people – Be around friends and relatives who understand what you are going through. You can also look for support groups with other people who are dealing with grief.
• Talk about your feelings – Tell people around you how you are feeling. Sharing your emotions helps you work through the various stages of the grieving process.
• Don’t neglect your health. Maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and get plenty of rest. You should also continue to see your family physician regularly.
• Remember that life is for the living. It is difficult not to dwell on the past, but you should remember that you are alive and life is for the living.
• Hold off on significant life changes. Don’t make any major changes, such as remarrying, moving, getting a new job, or having another child. You need to give yourself time to adjust to your loss. That is change enough.
• Have patience – It takes time to accept the new chapter of your life. Be patient with yourself.
• Ask for help when necessary – If you feel like you can’t handle your grief, seek professional assistance to help work through it. Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Dealing with and coping with grief is a hard process. It is not meant to be done alone. And while grief is normal, it doesn’t mean that you can’t ask for help when it’s too hard. In fact, you must ask for help. It is a crucial part of healing. At SMA Healthcare, we provide therapy and other tools that you can use to navigate your grief.

If you are already dealing with other conditions that make grieving that much harder, such as bipolar disorder or depression, you may need some extra help and resources when navigating your grief. Our team at SMA Healthcare can provide the help that you need.

Contact Us

At SMA Healthcare, we are here for you 24/7. You can call our Access Center or contact us online if you are struggling with grief, depression, or feeling alone in Florida. We want to help you through the grieving process.

https://www.mhanational.org/bereavement-and-grief

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/grief

https://www.banyanmentalhealth.com/2019/01/31/can-grief-and-loss-lead-to-mental-illness/

https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/coping-grief-during-pandemic