Indigo Mental Wellness in Grief
Coping Steps in the Grieving Process
GRIEF IS UNIVERSAL - YET GRIEVERS ARE DISTINCTIVE.Grieving follows a pattern, but each griever experiences it differently. Awareness of the basic pattern reveals common ground for mutual help and support. Recognition of each griever's uniqueness empowers grievers to help themselves and guides sympathizers in what to say and do.
THE FIVE COPING STAGES OF TRAUMA ARE:
SHOCK/ DENIAL
ANGER/ GUILT
BARGAINING
DEPRESSION
ACCEPTANCE
Wikipedia
The model was introduced by Swiss-American psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her 1969 book On Death and Dying, and was inspired by her work with terminally ill patients.[3] Motivated by the lack of instruction in medical schools on the subject of death and dying, Kübler-Ross examined death and those faced with it at the University of Chicago's medical school. Kübler-Ross's project evolved into a series of seminars which, along with patient interviews and previous research, became the foundation for her book.[4] Although Kübler-Ross is commonly credited with creating stage models, earlier bereavement theorists and clinicians such as Erich Lindemann, Collin Murray Parkes, and John Bowlby used similar models of stages of phases as early as the 1940s.[5]
Later in her life, Kübler-Ross noted that the stages are not a linear and predictable progression and that she regretted writing them in a way that was misunderstood.[6] "Kübler-Ross originally saw these stages as reflecting how people cope with illness and dying," observed grief researcher Kenneth J. Doka, "not as reflections of how people grieve."[7]
RECOVERY FROM A LOVED ONE'S DEATH REQUIRES MORE THAN TIME. Yet, as we allow ourselves the time to mourn we can gradually break grief's grip on us. Recognizing the role and value of the grieving process orients us to accept the fact of death. Acceptance marks a major step toward recovery.
SHOCK INITIATES US INTO MOURNING.
We go numb when someone we love dies. We feel stunned, in a trance. This is nature's way of cushioning us against tragedy. The length and depth of this state varies according to our relationship, the cause of death or tragedy, whether it was sudden or expected, etc. Shock allows us time to absorb what has happened and to begin to adjust. The guidance of caring people can sustain new grievers. As the numbness wears off and acceptance grows, we regain control of the direction of our lives. Shock is a real health challenge. People must not be left alone in as much as possible. Shock is a stress. Our bodies release cortisol and adrenaline, So, body functions can go haywire, which can lead to not only depression and suicide, but to mood swings, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack, etc..
The mental and emotional upset of a loss by death causes physical distress and vulnerability to illness due to a lowered immune system. Grievers sometimes neglect healthy nourishment and exercise, overindulge in drinking, smoking, or medication. We might need a doctor's advice in regard to our symptoms, their causes, and their treatment.
The death of a loved one makes the future very uncertain. We might panic in the face of the unknown and fear life without the one who died. Panic prevents concentration and defers acceptance of the finality of death. It tempts us to run from life, to avoid people, and to refuse to try new things. We might even think we're going crazy. Patience with ourselves and a willingness to accept help enable us to subdue panic and outgrow its confusion.
GRIEVERS SUFFER GUILT FEELINGS.
Many blame themselves after a loved one's death, for the death itself, or for faults in the relationship. We have all made mistakes and sincere regret is the best response to them. Self-blame can move out of proportion to our behavior and affects mental health and recovery. Close friends or a trusted counselor can aid us in confronting and dealing with guilt feelings, whether justified or exaggerated.
GRIEF MAKES PEOPLE ANGRY.
People in grief naturally ask "Why?" Why him? Why me? Why now? Why like this? Most of these questions have no answers. Frustration then causes us to feel resentment and anger. We want someone to blame: God, doctors, clergy, ourselves, even the one who died. If we can accept the lack of answers to "Why?" we might begin to ask, instead, what can we do now to grow through what has happened. Then we have started to move beyond anger and towards hope.
EMOTIONAL UPSEARGE CHARACTERIZES GRIEVERS.
A loved one's death disrupts the emotional balance. The variety and intensity of feelings can be overwhelming. Other grievers and counselors can help us interpret and deal with these feelings. As we come to understand what we experience, we can find appropriate ways to release our emotions and channel them constructively.
GRIEVERS OFTEN LACK DIRECTION AND PURPOSE.
At times in the grieving process, a kind of drifting occurs. Mourners find familiar and necessary activities difficult. We prefer to daydream about what was or fantasize about what might have been. If we can foster gratitude for the past and begin to assess our potential for the future, this will prove a passing phase, not a permanent state. We often think that the process of grief is set and controllable, yet many ways there are continual spirals. Just as we know that our Ancestors never truly die and that we can sustain a connection to them. The pattern of the grief system, spirals, ebbs, and flows.
ACCEPTANCE BRINGS HOPE AND HEALING TO GRIEVERS.
SURVIVORS REAFFIRM THEMSELVES AND CHOOSE LIFE.
Eventually, grievers recognize and embrace a healing truth: Grief has changed me, but has not destroyed me. I've discovered new things about myself. I can build on strengths developed through adversity. I'm no longer my "old self" but I'm still me, I face the future with confidence. Life is worth living because I can love and be loved.
Kandaki-Ma Nuta Beqsu (Adenike Amen-Ra)
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