National Grief Awareness Day
August 16, 2024
National Grief Awareness Day happens each year on August 30th. This day is designed to raise awareness for grief and emotions, but to also take time to think about self-care and remember the ones we have lost. For Grief Awareness Day, The Residence at Salem Woods would like to take some time to look at grief. What is grief? What are the stages of grief? How do we overcome grief?
Grief is an emotional reaction to loss typically associated with death and dying but can also be triggered by any other loss we may go through such as jobs, money, or relationships. Grief is a process of adjustment to the loss you have endured.
There are often several stages of grief, each person will go through them at different paces.
Some people feel numb after the death of a person they care about. They may even try to carry on as though nothing has happened.
If you experience this, it could be because it's just too hard to believe that the person you know so well is not coming back. You may also still feel their presence and you may think that you have heard their voice or even seen them.
It is very natural to feel anger after someone dies. Death can seem really cruel and unfair. It can feel harder too if the person was too young to die, or if their death leaves you with a lot of responsibility or practical problems.
You may feel angry at the person who has died for leaving you, or be angry at yourself for things you think you didn't do right.
This is when some people who are grieving start making deals with themselves, or perhaps a God if they are religious.
Maybe they promise themselves that they will now always do (or not do) something, believing that it could make the person who has died come back. Or maybe they believe it will stop anyone else dying - or other bad things happening. This is sometimes called 'magical thinking'.
People may also find that they keep going back over the past and ask lots of 'what if' questions, wishing that they could go back and change things so it could have turned out differently.
Sadness and longing are the feelings we think of most when we think about grief. These feelings can be very intense and painful, and they may come and go over many months or years.
But most people find that painful feelings like this become less strong over time. If you do not feel this is the case for you, then you should ask for help.
As time passes, most people find that the pain of grief becomes less intense. They can accept that the person has died and that their life will carry on without them.
Rather than saying that grief ends, people often say that they learn to live with it. In time, their life is able to grow around their grief, and they are able to find enjoyment again while accepting that they will always miss the person who has died.
There are many ways we can overcome grief. Here are five examples of ways to overcome grief.
1. Self-care such as having your nails painted, getting your hair cut, or even a massage.
2. Support groups. Each city has a wide variety of support groups available.
3. Reach out to caring friends for support.
4. Professional support or speaking with a therapist may be necessary.
5. Patience with yourself. Overcoming grief can be a rollercoaster of emotions with many ups and downs.
For more information on grief, visit Mental Health America.
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