There are several reasons for intense grief. A person can feel deep anguish and emotional pain when unexpected and immense losses occur in life. Situations like losing a close person, professional losses, physical injuries, divorce, or other unfavorable situations in life can all cause you emotional and mental pain.
Grief is normal, it happens, but not everyone can overcome the grief easily. Depending on the severity of the situation, grief can adversely affect a person and push them into severe conditions like bipolar disorders, depression, prolonged grief disorder, and several other mental problems. That’s why it is important to handle grief sensibly and carefully as early as possible.
Here are a few easy ways to deal with immense grief.
1) Accept and Adapt
Start by accepting your grief and adapting according to it. You need to realize that emotions are a part of human existence, and it is alright to express yourself as transparently as you want. Accept your grief and express it the way you want.
According to Dr. George Bonanno, who studies how people cope with loss and trauma at Columbia University, being flexible with your emotions helps you cope with grief better. He explains that it is important to express emotions when the situation calls for them. Cherish the good moments you’ve had and smile and feel sad when the situation reminds you of the loss.
Such a flexible and adaptable nature will help you in regulating your grief by bringing other lighter emotions into the picture.
2) Engage Yourself in Activities
When you suffer a loss, your main focus should be to return to normal life as soon as possible. Do not isolate yourself, no matter how much you want it. Instead, go out, meet friends, and do some activities together.
As you create new memories and experiences for yourself, it becomes easier for your brain to subside the grief and move to other things in life.
3) Improve Your Health
Try to focus on improving your health if you are struggling to cope with grief. Maintain a healthy diet and indulge in physical activities and exercises, and it will help you feel better.
The science behind the fact is, when you exercise, your body releases endorphins that generate a positive feeling in your body. Endorphins are like treats for your brain and sensory systems, instructing them to be positive and lively. Though this may not extinguish grief, it can surely help you move forward to appreciate life.
4) Recognize the Intensity of Grief
Express your grief freely. Do not suppress yourself, but you must always keep an eye on the intensity of your grief. Differentiating between grief and clinical depression can be really difficult for the victim.
Therefore, under such a condition, you must not refrain from speaking to your friends and family about how you feel. Analyze your grief and understand whether it is turning into something severe or gradually receding with time.
5) Get Professional Help
Finally, if you have been struggling with intense grief for a long time, you must not hesitate to get professional help. Talking to a professional can do miracles that you never thought were possible.
Professional psychiatrists and counselors will analyze your situation to find out effective methods of recovery. They can implement several effective techniques that help victims successfully recover from prolonged grief disorders (PGD).
Taking professional assistance at the right time can also prevent the development of chronic mental disorders. The experts can understand your condition and determine whether you should start medications to support your mental health. Therefore, you can prevent serious conditions that would otherwise occur in the future.
Final Words
These are the five effective ways of coping with severe and prolonged grief. Grief is a part of life, and everyone has the ability to overcome it. All you need to do is focus on your strengths and appreciate all the good that life has brought to you. Keep things simple, be expressive, flexible, and adaptable. But if you just cannot, do not hesitate to take help.
If you are struggling with grief, these simple yet sensible measures will help you avoid adverse scenarios. And if you know someone who is facing a problem in life, go out and meet them and encourage them to get back to normal life. Share the grief, and it vanishes. Simple.
