Grief and Bereavement
Grief
Grief after a loss can be very challenging. The act of mourning is something that all of us must go through after the death of a loved one. This website is meant to provide education and options for support to help you on your grief journey.
Symptoms of Grief
Fatigue, Mind Fog, Anger, Irritability, Despair, Regret, Shame, numbness, insomnia, anxiety, chest pain, achiness, yearning, forgetfulness, headaches, loss of appetite, sadness, detachment. Just as each of us is unique so is our grief journey. You may experience some or none of these symptoms. Our individual grief vocabulary may be very unique.
Stages and Phases of Grief
There has been much research on the act of mourning. Most recently The Four Phases of Grief, proposed by British psychiatrists John Bowlby and Colin Murray Parkes. Has been the accepted model for people in grief. ​
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Shock and Numbness: This phase immediately follows a loss to death. In order to emotionally survive the initial shock of the loss, the grieving person feels numb and shut down.
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Yearning and Searching: This phase is characterized by a variety of feelings, including sadness, anger, anxiety, and confusion. The grieving person is experiencing a longing for the deceased person and wanting them to return to fill the emptiness created by their death.
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Disorganization and Despair: This phase is marked by initial acceptance of the reality of the loss. The grieving person may experience feelings of apathy, anger, despair, and hopelessness. The person often desires to withdraw and disengage from others and the activities they regularly enjoyed.
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Reorganization and Recovery: In the final phase, the grieving person begins to return to a new state of "normal." Intense feelings such as sadness, anger, and despair begin to diminish as more positive memories of the deceased person increase. The person may experience regular energy levels and weight will stabilize (if it fluctuated during other phases).
Grief Support
Our licensed social workers and bereavement team will be offering grief support meetings for more information please contact Bernice at (209) 846-9488 or email at bhammond@sevahospice.com.
or
Derek at (559) 625-1043 or email at dcheatham@sevahospice.com
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Click below for the grief support form