“The task of adulthood is navigating loss”  ~ Bruce Springsteen

Everyone experiences grief and loss in life, whether it is the death of a friend or family member, the end of a relationship, a move to a new area, the loss of a pet, or a severe illness. It is essential to understand that individual reactions to profound loss differ from person to person. The grieving process often occurs in stages, each of which brings different emotions, and these stages differ for everyone. When grieving, people may feel emotions such as:

• • • • Shock
      • Anger
      • Depression, isolation, or loneliness
      • Guilt
      • Denial of your feelings
      • Fear
      • Sadness
      • Anxiety
      • Relief
      • Longing

There is no right way to grieve. Everyone goes through the stages of grief at a different pace, and as we learn to accept the loss, the grief becomes more bearable. However, if the grieving process lasts for years without lessening, it may be complicated by some of these other factors:

• • • • Avoiding your emotions
      • Over-activity to the point of exhaustion
      • Alcohol or other drug use
      • Making unrealistic promises to the person you have lost
      • Unresolved grief from a previous loss
      • Judgmental relationships
      • Resenting those who try to help

We can help

At A Peaceful Balance, we assist our clients in learning to cope with significant losses and assist them in moving through the “Tasks of Grief:”

1. 1. Accept the reality of the loss
   2. Experience the pain of grief
   3. Adjust to a changed environment
   4. Withdraw emotional energy and reinvest it in another relationship

A Summary of William Worden’s “Tasks of Grief” Model (Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy, 4^th ed., 2008).

You do not have to walk through your grief journey alone. Let one of our counselors walk beside you. To set up an appointment, call us at (603) 577-5551 or send an email to info@apeacefulbalance.com.

Resources

Self-Care while Grieving

Grief Resources for Adults & Children

Compassionate Friends – support for families who have experience the death of a child

National Share – pregnancy & infant loss

The Children’s Room

After a Loved One Dies – how children grieve (.pdf)

SAMHSA –After a Loved One Dies – How Children Grieve: And How Parents and Other Adults Can Support Them (website)

Sesame Street Grief Resources for Children

Association of Pet Loss and Bereavement

Pet Loss Support Line – Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (Massachusetts) 508-839-7966