Grief is a universal experience. It is a human response to the loss of someone we love and value. However, it can also be a very challenging experience.

At a glance

• Grief is a process that each person experiences in a unique way.
• We need to give ourselves and others permission to grieve and be patient when the process seems to be taking longer than we expect.
• Grief is expressed in many ways and there is no specific timeline for grief.
• Over time however the pain should get less.

It can be helpful to recognise that grief is a process and that each person experiences grief in a unique way. The following factors may influence how grief is experienced:

• relationship with the person who died
• the circumstances surrounding their death
• existing coping strategies and how emotional distress has been managed in the past
• available support networks.

Grief is not only due to a physical loss of a loved one or friend, it can also be caused by a financial loss, a relationship ending or breakdown or a feeling that you have lost your own identity. All of these are a nutural part of our lives and shows how Grief and Loss are closely related. The period of time a person grieves for can be influenced by culture and the persons past experiences and beliefs.

Depending on the individual and their past experiences, if they fail to acknowledge and deal with their grief and loss in a healthy and realistic way it may lead to that individual experiencing Depression or Anxiety. If the symptoms continue though, an education is needed on what’s causing their depression, in order to understand and resolve it. See Depression.