Talking about our grief is a crucial part of the healing process
Grief is a universal emotion that we all experience at some point in our lives. While it is a natural and normal part of the human experience, grief is often seen as something that should be kept to ourselves and not talked about openly.
Talking about grief can be especially difficult in cultures where expressing our feelings is not always encouraged, where expressing feelings of sadness can be seen as a weakness and not something that should be discussed openly.
Growing up in this environment can make it difficult to work through your grief, as you may not have the emotional tools or support to articulate your feelings.
However, talking about our grief is a crucial part of the healing process and can help us to move forward in our lives. Discussing and exploring our grief with others can provide us with comfort, understanding, and a deeper connection with those around us.
In this article, we discuss four compelling reasons why it is better to address our grief, rather than ignoring or suppressing the emotional effects of loss.
1) Ignoring Your Grief Can Negatively Impact Relationships
Ignoring our grief can damage relationships in many ways, particularly if we are grieving the loss of a loved one. When we don't give ourselves time and space to properly process our grief, it can manifest in other, negative ways.
For example, we may become irritable and short-tempered with our loved ones, which can lead to arguments and hurt feelings. We may also become withdrawn and distant, which can cause our relationships to suffer. This can have a long-term effect on our relationships if we don't take the time to properly deal with our grief.
It is important that we are honest with ourselves and our loved ones about our grief experience- and that we give ourselves the time we need to properly process it.
This may include talking to a therapist or counsellor about your feelings, as well as participating in grief support groups.
2) Ignoring Your Grief Can Prevent You From Finding Closure
Closure can seem like the wrong word to use when talking about grieving. We don’t want to close the relationship we’ve lost, or to forget the treasured memories we have. Instead, think about closure as gaining a sense of peace and acceptance that comes with grieving.
When we don’t take the time to address our feelings, we can become stuck in our unresolved grief, unable to move on and create new memories.
Setting aside time to reflect on the memories we’ve shared and the impact our loved one has had on our life can help us to come to terms with our loss.
Talking to friends and family can also be a valuable source of support during this time. It can help to acknowledge the pain we are feeling, while also creating a space for us to share the joy and pride we feel from the time we shared together.
Although closure is not something we can achieve in a finite period of time, we can take steps to make progress towards it. Creating a meaningful tradition to honour our loved one can be a powerful way to show our respect and give us the opportunity to express our grief, while also bringing us a sense of closure.
Writing down our thoughts and feelings can also help us to come to terms with our loss and provide a source of comfort and catharsis.
3) Ignoring Your Grief Can Prevent You From Moving On With Your Life
Ignoring grief can have a profoundly negative impact on your life, preventing you from being able to move on in a healthy way. Although it is difficult to imagine in the midst of grief, it is possible to find happiness and purpose in life again after the passing of a loved one. While life will never be the same again, it can become something new and meaningful while still honouring the memory of those we miss.
When you ignore the emotions of sadness and loss that come with grief, you are denying yourself the opportunity to heal from the experience. It can cause your emotions to become repressed and lead to feelings of isolation and anger. You may become consumed with thoughts of the person or event that caused your grief, and this can cause you to become stuck in a loop of negative emotions.
Additionally, ignoring your grief can lead to other unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as drinking or binge eating to numb the pain. These behaviours can become destructive and can further hinder your ability to move on with your life.
Acknowledging and expressing your feelings can help to reduce the intensity of your grief and allow you to start to heal. Making use of counselling and support groups can also be beneficial in the healing process.
4) Ignoring grief can negatively impact your emotional wellbeing
When we ignore our grief, we are not allowing ourselves the opportunity to process our emotions and come to terms with our grief experience. This can lead to becoming overwhelmed by our emotions, and repressing them rather than processing them.
Stifling our emotions can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. We may also become isolated from others and become disconnected from the world around us.
Ignoring our grief can also lead to a lack of self-care and an inability to move forward. We can become stuck in the same cycle of painful regret, blame and sorrow, unable to take steps forward.
We may also experience difficulty with decision-making, as we are unable to access our emotions and consider our options objectively.
It is important to acknowledge and address our grief in order to preserve our emotional wellbeing. By taking the time to process our emotions and seek help, we can begin to heal and move forward in life.
Moving Forward and Finding Peace
Ignoring our grief can lead to physical and wellbeing issues, and if left unresolved, will result in feelings of isolation and depression.
While it can be difficult to open up and talk about the pain we are feeling, it is an essential part of the healing process. Taking the time to process our grief and find ways to cope with our emotions can help us move forward and embrace life again.
We can then begin to accept our loss and learn to live with it, rather than letting it control our lives. Our directory of experienced grief specialists are here to provide you with the support, understanding, and emotional tools you need to work through your grief and begin to heal and find peace.
No matter where you are in the grieving process, our specialists are here to provide you with the care and compassion you need to start taking small steps to move forward.