Grief & Loss: Stages, Symptoms & Support in York, Manchester & online

What is Grief & Loss?

The experience of grief or loss is a natural emotional response to a painful event in life. This can be a reaction to the death of a loved one, but other situations such as an illness diagnosis, the breakdown of a relationship, losing a job or moving away from those close to you, can also cause feelings of grief. Even subtle losses in life can trigger a sense of grief but you should not diminish how you are feeling in response to this.

Grief is very personal and there is no correct way to grieve or feel. There is no normal timescale for grieving. It is completely natural for your feelings to vary over the day and change over time.

It is important that you take the time to grieve in your own way, and not to be too hard on yourself while you learn to live with your feelings of loss.

 

Symptoms of Grief & Loss

The experience of grief can manifest into a variety of emotions, feelings and reactions. Intense feelings may not be there all the time but can appear unexpectedly throughout the grieving process. Everything you may feel is a normal reaction to a traumatic event and is all part of processing what has happened.

 

As part of your Grief, you may feel:

Disbelief

Numb

Anxious

Guilty

Angry

Overwhelmed

Helpless

Sad

Withdrawn

 

You may also experience physical symptoms of Grief, such as:

Mood swings

Trouble sleeping

Changes in appetite

 

How to deal with Grief & Loss

Everyone grieves differently and you might have heard of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Most people will go through all stages, but the transition may not be smooth. It is important to remember that learning to live with loss can take time, but there are ways to help you to process your grief.

It is important to be compassionate and patient with yourself, understanding that your emotions are valid.

It can be helpful to talk about and share your feelings with a close friend, family member or counsellor. Whether it is a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, or just company around you – tell them what you need.

Remember that every grieving process is unique, you cannot compare how you deal with your loss or how others might be coping.

Taking care of your physical health is just as important when dealing with grief. Combatting stress and fatigue through getting enough sleep, eating well and exercising might help you feel more able to cope emotionally. Maintaining your hobbies and interests might also be a good way to bring you joy and help you stay connected to others.

 

How we can help with Grief & Loss

Whilst it is normal to grieve in response to loss, if your feelings of grief are impacting your daily life, causing you distress and do not ease through exploring ways to help manage it, it may be time to seek professional help.

Our team of expert therapists can offer you a range of specialist psychological therapies to suit your needs. Our starting point for therapy is to offer an individual consultation to think with you about your worries or concerns and identify the approach to therapy that is most likely to help.

As an independent therapy service, we are delighted to be able to provide a highly personalised approach, informed by clinical research and best practice, professional expertise, and your own preferences.

We understand that seeking therapy can be daunting and that taking the first step can be challenging. We have a team of trained experts who can work with you to design a bespoke and flexible treatment that works best for you, which is available at our clinics in York, Manchester and online.

Please get in touch using the form below to find out more about how we can help.