Loss / Bereavement / Adjustment
The Bereavement or Loss of a loved one can be one of the most challenging things that life can throw at us. Whilst it is expected that it takes time to adjust to a loss, for some of us, this process can be particularly painful and we may find that we feel like we are unable to get through our grief without some support. If you've experienced losing someone in your life and you feel that it remains very hard to accept your loss, or it may be helpful to share some of your thoughts in a safe and nurturing environment, it may be important to do so. Feelings of loss, however, may not always be associated with the loss of someone in our lives where the relationship was positive. When we experience the loss of someone, where perhaps the relationship has been less straightforward, we may find the grieving process more complicated, as often there can be very mixed feelings that can both hard to make sense of and also very painful. This is often called 'Complicated Grief'.
Loss can also be associated with things other than the absence or death of a person. We can, for example, experience significant loss in our lives when a role or something else of significance is taken away from us; even if we have been a part of the decision for it to be removed. Some examples or where we can experience a significant sense of loss may relate to a loss of skills due to an accident, the development of a physical or neurological condition or disability or the loss or change in an important role we occupy.
Feelings of loss can also be associated with transitioning into a new phase of our life or sudden and unplanned changes that mean that things that we have come to expect and appreciate within our lives are suddenly taken away from us. Adjusting to any type of change can be challenging for many of us, but when the impact of these changes are especially hard to make sense of, or adjust to, it may be useful to explore them with a little bit of support.
Helping children to adjust to the loss: as parents or adults close to children, it can also feel like there is a big responsibility to help those around us, and particularly children, to adjust to loss and feelings associated with the death or absence of someone close. This can, however, often be very hard to do; as we may be trying to deal with our own grief at the same time and we may not always know what to say and do for the best. If this sounds like something that you have experienced, or are experiencing, a therapy setting may provide you with a safe and calm space in which to explore different options available to you and your family at this difficult time.