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Special Healing Topics
Energy Healing
Spiritual Healing
Human Energy Field
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Living with Grief
How to Survive the Death of a Loved One
Part 2: Characteristics and
Symptoms of Grief
Each of us
grieves in our own unique way, but there are responses to loss which most of us
will have in common. The only way to heal from loss is to experience the
emotions of grieving fully. We need to be able to relax into these painful
feelings. Knowing that what we are feeling is "normal" can help us to do
that more easily.
 Following is a
list of the characteristics of grief. Loss of a parent, spouse, child, friend or
pet will all have a different quality, but the experiences below are common to
all types of grief.
Physical
Characteristics
● Tightness in
the throat, heaviness in the chest, bodily aches and pain.
● Feeling
dizzy, short of breath or headachy.
● Frequent
sighing.
● Loss of
appetite and/or increased eating.
● A chronic
feeling of tiredness.
Emotional
Characteristics
● Feeling
emotionally numb.
● Feeling as
though the loss isn't real, that it didn't actually happen.
● Intense
sadness, depression and yearning.
● Anger and
irritation.
● Crying at
unexpected times.
● Feeling
guilty for what was said or not said, or for not having done enough for the
person who died.
● Feeling
guilt over times when one is happy.
● Intense
anger at the loved one for leaving them or at God.
● Sudden
changes in mood.
● Relief: if
the person was ill before the death, there may be relief that their suffering is
over.
● Feeling as
though life doesn't have any meaning.
● An upsurge
of emotional distress at anniversary dates, birthdays, holidays, etc.
Behavioral
Characteristics
● Sensing the
loved one's presence, hearing their voice or seeing their face, expecting the
person to walk in the door at the usual time.
● Restlessness, difficulty concentrating and making decisions, not finishing
things.
● Difficulty
sleeping and dreaming frequently of the loved one.
● Being
intensely preoccupied with the life of the person who died.
● Assuming
mannerisms and traits of the loved one.
● Decreased
desire for socializing.
● Needing to
remember and tell and retell things about the loved one and the experience of
their death.
● Questioning
religion, philosophy or spiritual beliefs.
These
experiences will occur for weeks, months and even years following a death,
depending of the type of relationship we had with the person who died. Grief
comes in waves -- grief reactions can come and go, and the intensity varies
considerably. Just when we feel that things are finally a bit easier, something
can unexpectedly trigger a whole new flood of feelings.
Internet Grief Resources
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Healing CDs
Ease of Being CD
Guided meditations for centering and healing
Pure Relaxation CD
voice and music for total relaxation
Sleep Easy CD
guided meditation and music for sleep
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