Grief Counseling

Death and loss is a constant in our lives, a sad inevitability.  But dealing with death and loss of loved ones is both difficult and unique for each of us. The emptiness that follows the loss of a loved one can be difficult to bear. Our grief is a protective mechanism to help us deal with our loss. But left unchecked and unsupported, grief can be debilitating.

How long is long enough?

In the past, we were told to grieve for a year and thus cover all the ‘firsts’: The first birthday and so on. Today there seems to be an unwritten expectation that we should somehow get over our loss in a shorter period of time. There is lots of support at the time of the death of the loved one and there is grieving and sharing of love on the day of their funeral and for a few weeks afterwards. But then there comes an expectation that you will have gotten over it. If you grieve longer, society seems to become less sympathetic and more judgmental. This is in direct contrast to what most people know from their own loss or experience, that grieving can take months even years. We all  experience grief in our own way.

How you can help yourself:

• Recognize that your grief process is unique. Accept that many of the things you might consider silly or crazy are a normal reaction to death.
• Get support, talk to family and friends about how you are feeling.
• Allow yourself to remember good times as well as the events surrounding the death.
• Understand that holidays and anniversaries are going to be difficult and allow yourself the space to get through them.
• Limit the use alcohol or non-prescription drugs to get through the process; they can often make the feelings and your problems worse.

You can get through these difficult emotions and return to a more normal lifestyle while remembering the person.

Take a first step toward being free from grief and meet with one of our therapists. Our grief counseling can help you identify how to move forward with your life. If you are ready, call AFC to schedule an appointment.