Signs that you should seek help during grief
One never truly gets used to the loss of a loved one. It is always a painful process that takes time. Grief is a natural process that facilitates adaptation to the loss and prepares us to continue living without the loved one, but it often causes great suffering.
In the first few days it is normal to feel disbelief, a sense of emotional shock, "emotional numbness", numbness, confusion... You may also deny the death or find it very difficult to accept reality.
To reduce emotional distress following the loss of a loved one
Not everyone needs professional help to overcome grief, but it is recommended that you seek it if you feel you need it.
If you experience any of the signs described below on a persistent basis, you may require professional help:
- Intense feelings of guilt caused by the inability to change situations in which the survivor feels they could have acted differently.
- Thoughts of death : an intense feeling of wanting to die along with the missing person.
- Intense hopelessness: a feeling of losing one's purpose in life and/or facing a bleak future.
- Difficulty controlling anger.
- Physical symptoms , such as significant weight loss or a feeling of not being able to breathe.
- Excessive worry with feelings of worthlessness.
- Psychomotor slowing: a feeling of being "slowed down" that is sustained over time.
- Hallucinatory experiences: It is common to experience this type of experience during bereavement. For example, so-called "widowhood pseudo-hallucinations," which consist of hearing or seeing the deceased person, are considered normal in healthy individuals. Therefore, this should not alarm us, and only other types of hallucinatory episodes would warrant seeking medical help.
- Difficulties in functioning in daily life that occur in a sustained manner over time (for example, difficulties in maintaining work activity, household chores, etc.).
- Substance abuse: consumption of alcohol or other drugs as a way to lessen the pain of loss.
- Recurring and distressing thoughts or images about situations experienced before or after the loss.
Grief in the digital age
These recommendations are included in the guide "Grief. Tips for coping with the loss of a loved one" , from Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu.
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