Grief & Loss ...

Few emotional states are as devastating as those associated with grief and loss. If you are experiencing the loss of a loved one or another significant loss you know how difficult it is to cope from day-to-day.
The penetrating emotional numbness and confusion accompanying grief seems almost unbearable.
Society often refers to grieving as something done in "stages" and offers standard timetables for overcoming loss; along with 3 days off from work. Yet real life happens on an individual basis; not according to standardized timetables and well intended research data.

The sting of loss may have occurred recently or many years ago. Perhaps the chance to share the details of your loss and work-through your feelings was misssed.

Even if you have been able to talk about your loss, life can remain complicated by tangled emotions and major lifestyle adjustments. You may relate to the following list of common responses to grief adapted from John James and Russell Friedman's, The Grief Recovery Handbook:

  • Reduced concentration
  • Sense of numbness
  • Disrupted sleep patterns
  • Changed eating habits
  • Emotional roller-coaster

You may be experiencing these feelings not as a result of death but other experiences of loss such as:

 
  • Death of a pet
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  • Moving
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  • Starting school
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  • Empty nest
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  • Marriage
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  • Graduation
    		•   
     
  • End of addictions
    		•
  • Past abuse
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  • Retirement
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  • Financial changes
    		•
  • Holidays
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  • Health issues
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  • End of a relationship
    		•       

    While the void left by losing a loved can never be filled, coping mechanisms for continuing your life without them are attainable over time. At Directions Counseling Group we approach issues of grief in a comprehensive manner.

    Loss impacts us profoundly relationally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
    Our counselors seek to provide therapy that will help you explore these areas as they become relevant in your treatment. Call us to discuss whether our services are appropriate for your situation.
    The information on this page is general in nature and not intended as a substitute for a professional clinical evaluation.
    ©2003 Directions Counseling Group / Christian Counseling