Nothing can be as earth-shattering to your psyche as the loss of a trusted friend, a relative, or a dear family pet. Make no mistake, when it comes to how to deal with grief, no two people heal the same way. One of the most effective ways of dealing with grief is to speak with a licensed psychotherapist. With a counselor as your guide, you will be able to move through the wide range of emotions that you will likely deal with on your path to normalcy. While for some, the amount of time it takes to grieve can be short, it may be more drawn out for others. The important thing to remember, however, is that there is no “wrong” amount of time.

Stages of Grief

When counseling a patient on how to handle their loss, it is important that you observe the 5 stages of grief. Introduced in 1969, by noted psychiatrist Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross, the five stages of grief were originally developed after observing patients who were faced with terminal illness. Since their inception, many other people have generalized the stages of how to deal with grief by adapting them to various life events with negative outcomes.

• Denial- This cannot be happening to myself, or family
• Anger- Who can I blame or why has this event affected myself or family?
• Bargaining- In exchange for this event, I will ____.
• Depression- I can’t do anything about this, I’m far too upset
• Acceptance- After everything that has happened, I have finally made peace with the event, and I will no longer allow it to affect me in a negative way.

While the five stages of grief are widely discussed and acknowledged, you should in no way feel that you must go through all of them. Should you go through all the stages of how to deal with grief, it is unlikely that you will experience them in a neat order. Do not feel as though you should be feeling one way or another.

How to deal with Grief: How to Know When it is Time to Seek a Professional

Grief left untreated, can often manifest even worse consequences than the original event. Before you allow yourself to succumb to grief, and its dangerous consequences, you should speak with a licensed grief counselor. Some ways to tell that your grief may be out of control are:

• Feeling completely disconnected from your day to day life
• Losing trust in close confidantes, without cause
• Contemplating suicide, or feeling as though you should have died in place of your loved one.
• Intense self-blame, whether you could have prevented the event or not.

The highly-skilled team at Gateway Counseling understands the struggle you are going through. Whether you need a shoulder to cry upon, or someone to guide you through your emotional turmoil, we are only a phone call away. If you or a loved one is struggling with how to deal with grief, contact our office today for a free consultation at 561-468-6464.