Coping With Grief and Loss

Lean On Others

There is nothing shameful or embarrassing about crying or feeling sad. In fact, opening up to others and showing them your vulnerability is not only healing, but it can be a balm to help heal others. The thing is you’re not meant to deal with this alone. Find a friend to lean on when you feel like you can’t cope. And when that isn’t working, seek out the support of a therapist or a counselor. When loss leads to depression and anxiety, it can mean you’re not just dealing with average symptoms of sadness, but a more serious condition psychologists label, “complicated grief.” In the APA article A New Approach to Complicated Grief, Karen Kersting says, “Distinguishable from depression and anxiety, it is marked by broad changes to all personal relationships, a sense of meaninglessness, a prolonged yearning or searching for the deceased and a sense of rupture in personal beliefs.” If you feel like your sense of loss and spiraled into complicated brief, please seek professional help.