Grief is a natural response and it may affect every part of one’s life: physical, mental, emotional and social.
Common reactions to loss include:
- Physical sensations: such as hunger, nausea, breathlessness, shaking, headaches, sensitivity to noise, chest or throat pain.
- Behaviors: such as sleep and appetite disturbances, crying and sighing, increase in illness or accidents, increased use of alcohol, nicotine and changes in personal hygiene habits.
- Feelings: my include frustration, irritation, misdirected hostility, depression, guilt, yearning, fear and relief.
- Thoughts: such as disbelief, confusion/forgetfulness, lack of concentration, obsessive thinking about the loved one.
- Spiritual reactions: ranging from searching for broader meaning and embracing religious rituals to questioning faith or returning to previously abandoned beliefs and practices.
If you are concerned about any of these reactions, please contact one of our bereavement counselors.
Hospice of the Bluegrass Center for Grief and Education at 859 277-2700 or
(800) 876-6005.
