Losing someone or something you hold dear to your heart is probably one of the hardest challenges to face. You can only react with grief. It might be the death of a family member or a beloved pet, end of a relationship, or loss of a job. Other forms of loss may be the separation due to an assignment abroad or a child leaving home to start college. Grief becomes particularly intense when the loss is more significant.

The Process of Grieving

People express grief in many different ways. How you react can affect every part of your life, including your emotions, thoughts, actions, physical health, and your relationships with others. Grief may be accompanied by other strong feelings like anger, anxiety, guilt, relief, overwhelm, and mostly sadness. These feelings gradually diminish in time, but grieving is a necessary process to overcome them.

There is no prescribed time period for grieving. There are neither rules on how you should feel nor how you should mourn. Grief does not need any recognition or validation by society. No matter how painful your loss is, the greatest healer is said to be time. No matter how severe it is, grief is not a permanent state. Although it may take considerable time, most people recover from loss and continue on with life after grieving. In order for this to happen, however, your loss must be processed. Some may struggle with grief longer than the others. It can be hard to move forward if you avoid how you are feeling and don’t receive the support that you deserve.

Moving On with Life after Grief and Loss

In the beginning, your family and friends may be around you to provide comfort and assistance. But, sooner or later, you will have to live with the vacuum created by your loss. You will know you’re moving on when there are more good days than the bad ones.

However, if you mourn for so long that it is starting to become unhealthy it can be beneficial to seek therapy with a professional counselor. A skilled therapist can help you to find a renewed sense of meaning, purpose and direction. Moving forward is possible with a licensed therapist contracted with Carolina Counseling Services – Southern Pines, NC. You deserve the support of a skilled counselor as you process your loss and begin to move forward. Call CCS today to schedule your first appointment.

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