Grief

Grief, a deep feeling of sadness over a loss, is one of the most difficult experiences a person can have. During the grief process, we may feel hopeless, out of control, dead inside, empty, pained, afraid, angry, or just about any other painful emotion one can name.

Just about everyone experiences grief at least a few times in life. The only way to avoid grief is not to care about anyone or anything, or to bury one's feelings with drugs or other distractions when a loved one leaves or dies, when we have a serious medical condition, when we lose a job or other opportunity, when we fail, or, for whatever, when we are missing something we need or want very badly. We can feel and deal with the grief, or we can choose to avoid it by many means. Yet even then, grief sticks around, showing up as depression, anger, anxiety, fatigue, or even physical illness.

In other words, there really is no around grief - but there is a way through it. While avoiding grief will only prolong and worsen suffering, facing it, with the help of friends, family, and, if necessary, a support group and/or therapist, often turns out to be a healing, enlightening experience - even though it will never, of course, be a fun one.