The Grief Experience
Grieving people have two choices. The first choice is to try to avoid their grief and emotions associated with their loss and continue on, hoping to forget. This is a risky choice, because when grief is ignored, it continues to cause distress.
The other choice is to recognize grieving and seek healing and growth. Coping with and adjusting to loss is slow, hard work. As difficult as it may sound, it is healing to embrace your grief, give it full expression and attention and, in so doing, distress will ease. While a show of strength at times of significant loss may seem admirable, it does not serve the need human beings have to express grief. It is essential to allow oneself to feel all the emotions that arise, as painful as they may be, and to treat oneself with patience and kindness.
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