I will not equate the length of my grieving period to the degree of my love. I will cry until I no longer need to cry, will grieve until I no longer need to grieve. And through it all my love will continue unchanged and undiminished. ~Author Unknown
Appropriate Grief Expectations
Grief is a normal and natural reaction to the death of a loved one. Most of us are not prepared for the long journey of grief. It can be devastating, frightening and often lonely. Utah Hospice Specialists is committed to assisting you through the process of healing.
See the following for understanding grief:
Appropriate Grief Expectations
Books about Grieving
• Your grief will take longer than most people would expect.
• Your grief will take more energy than you would have ever imagined.
• Your grief will involve many changes.
• Your grief will show itself in all aspects of your life: psychological, social, spiritual and physical.
• You will grieve for many things both symbolic and tangible, not just death alone.
• Your grief will depend upon how you perceive the loss.
• You will grieve for what you have lost already and for what you may have lost in the future.
• Your grief will involve a wide variety of feelings and reactions, not solely those that are generally thought of as grief, such as depression and sadness.
• The loss will resurrect old issues, feelings, and unresolved conflicts from the past.
• You will have some identity confusion as a result of this major loss and the fact that you are experiencing reactions that may be quite different for you.
• You may have a combination of anger and depression, such as Irritability, frustration, annoyance, or tolerance.
• You will feel some anger and guilt, or at least some manifestation of these emotions.
• You may have a lack of self-concern.
• You may experience grief spasms; acute upsurges of grief that occur suddenly with no warning.
• You may have trouble with memory, organization, intellectual processing and making decisions.
• You may feel like you are going crazy.