Three things to remember about grief and loss
“Grief is like a cobweb. It keeps coming back to its original place, weave after weave, thread after threat, until you help the spider find a new home.” - Shazia Naqvi
What sounds so simple is one of the most complex emotions that we have to deal with in life. Whether the loss was sudden or expected, the grief is sticky and profound. Even when you think you have moved through the process, a moment can trigger intense emotions that can stop you in your tracks.
While the loss of a loved one tends to be the most intense grief we experience, grief can occur with any loss we go through in our life. It could be anything from a relationship breakup to losing a job, a dramatic health change, or the loss of something sentimental, like a family home.
Three things to remember
There are three key things to remember about grief.
Everyone processes grief differently. Don’t judge yourself or others on what that process looks like. For some, they start counselling right away and work through it systematically. For others, they might need some space and room to breathe before they want to talk about it. Some make awkward jokes, others throw themselves into work. It’s a personal, individualized process.
There’s no time limit. Grieving can take weeks, months or years. It takes as long as it takes. No judgment.
It’s important to cope with grief…in ALL cases. Don’t ignore the grief and the feelings of loss. While it might feel overwhelming and impossible to process, you can work through the emotions with support. By tackling the feelings head on, you won’t let the grief suffocate you.
Grief and Loss Groups
Presented by Canadian Certified Counsellors and Registered Social Workers, these groups emphasize the processing of grief, understanding complex emotions, building peer support and developing self-compassion in grief recovery.
Some Other Solutions groups are scheduled on an as-needed basis. If you’re interested in participating or learning more, please reach out to healthandwellness@someothersolutions.ca.
For more information on grief and loss, visit the SOS Resource Centre.