The loss of a loved one can be a traumatic experience. Regardless of whether their death was expected or a complete surprise, the pain of losing someone is often overwhelming. Although grief feels debilitating, it is not a disease or disorder. Grief is a normal response to a loss. You’re not weak because you’re grieving.
People will try to help you through this process by telling you what you need to do.
“These feelings will pass.”
“Just give it time.”
“You just have to go through this.”
“You’ll get over it.”
They mean well, but they’re not telling you the whole story. Healing from a significant loss is a process. It’s often disorganized – even messy at times. One person’s journey may look entirely different from another’s. If only there were one way to get through grief – but there isn’t just one way.
At Thriveworks Grief Counseling of Greenville, we understand grief. We’ve dealt with loss – professionally and personally. We understand the pain of losing someone or cherished. We are here to partner with you through this time of loss. We want to help you heal during this time of grief.
The feelings of grief and loss are not limited to the death of a loved one. Career changes, relocation to a new city, or life transitions can create feelings of grief and loss. Many people who have experienced a significant loss state that they feel “stuck.” They feel like they cannot seem to move beyond a certain point in the healing process. If this sounds like you, call us to schedule your first appointment with a licensed grief counselor. (864) 952-4048
Symptoms of Grief
Grief can appear in many forms. Some people battle with depression. Others struggle to find meaning in activities that once provided happiness. Still others become angry and find it difficult to find inner peace. Some additional symptoms include:
- Feelings of shock or denial
- Increased anxiety
- Sudden crying
- Difficulty maintaining focus on routine tasks
- Withdrawal from family and friends
- A strong desire to tell stories of the deceased
- A compulsion to recount the details of how the loved one died
- Loss of appetite
- A lack of desire to engage in activities
- Increased irritability
- Fatigue
Stages of Grief
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler introduced the world to the Five Stages of Grief, not as a means of packaging grief into a neat and organized box, but as a way of helping people understand how to move forward after they’ve lost someone they love. Kessler writes, “[The stages] are responses to loss that many people have, but there is not a typical response to loss as there is no typical loss.” The five stages of grief are: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.
Many people believe that they must successfully complete each stage – each one after the next – and then their grief will be over; but that’s not how grief works. It often feels like an emotional game of pinball, where your feelings shoot from denial, to depression, to acceptance, and back to denial. No one can tell you how long this process will last, but you can be confident that the grief counselors of Thriveworks Counseling of Greenville will help you through this time of loss so that you can find a new outlook on life.
Help for Grief and Loss
At Thriveworks Grief Counseling of Greenville, we offer convenient appointment times. We’re open throughout the day and into the evening. We can schedule your appointment with a grief counselor in the same week, often in less than 48 hours. We accept most major insurance plans, so getting support may be more affordable than you thought. We offer affordable self-pay rates for those who prefer not to use insurance.
Don’t spend another day trying to work through your grief and loss alone. Get connected with a grief therapist in Greenville today! Call us to schedule your appointment: (864) 952-4048.
