1. Understanding Grief

2. What is Grief?
Grief is the normal response of sorrow, emotion, and confusion that comes from losing someone or something important to you. It is a natural part of life. Grief is a typical emotional, physical, and spiritual reaction to death, divorce, job loss, a move away from family and friends, loss of good health due to illness, or a breakup of an intimate relationship.

3. How Does Grief Feel?
Just after a death or loss, you may feel empty and numb, as if you are in shock.
May experience physical changes: trembling, nausea, trouble breathing, muscle weakness, dry mouth, or trouble sleeping and eating.
May experience feelings of anger or guilt
Guilt is often expressed as “I could have, I should have, and I wish I would have…” statements
May have strange dreams or nightmares, be absent-minded, withdraw socially, or lack the desire to return to work

4. How Long Does Grief Last?
Grief lasts as long as it takes you to accept and learn to live with your loss. For some people, grief lasts a few months. For others, grieving may take years.
The length of time spent grieving is different for each person. The time spent grieving also depends on your relationship with the person lost (in the case of death) and how prepared you were for the loss.

5. How Will I Know When I’m Done Grieving?
Every person who experiences a death or other loss goes through a grieving process which can be summed up in 4-steps:
Accept the loss
Work through and feel the physical and emotional pain of grief
Adjust to living in a world without the person or lost item
Move on with life
The grieving process is typically over when one completes the 4 steps.

6. What If These Feelings Won’t Go Away?
If you recently experienced a death or other loss, feelings of grief are a normal reaction. But if these feelings persist, ask for help.
Grief can lead to depression.

7. Why Talk With the CMHC ?
If you are having feelings, thoughts, or behaviors that seem to get in the way of your success, your CMHC may be able to help you figure out why.
If you have a mental health condition, your CMHC can help you determine if you need additional assistance or qualify for accommodations. Accommodations are things like extra breaks or a shortened training day to help manage mental health symptoms.

8. How Do I Help Someone Who is Grieving?
Tip 1: Listen with compassion.
Tip 2: Offer practical assistance.
Tip 3: Provide ongoing support.
Tip 4: Watch for warning signs.
Tip 5: Be aware of local resources (support groups) that may be able to support your friend in ways you can not.

9. Questions?

10. Sources http://www.samhsa.gov/MentalHealth/Anxiety_Grief.pdf