Dealing with loss.

When dealing with a difficult loss of any kind including of a job, a relationship, or way of life, we can come face to face with a some big feelings that are difficult to handle.

Coming to Terms with Loss

The acceptance of difficult news is a process to work through.

There are various theories on this grieving process. It is often thought that as we get on with life, the feelings of loss fade, as shown the top row of jars above. For me, this is not necessarily the case. In fact we might swing from getting on with life and daily tasks, to feeling guilty that we are continuing to live when person or thing we have lost is no longer with us.

Although the grieving process may be uncomfortable and we might want to resist it, it is also an important time of adjustment.

During this period of adjustment, I think we still hold that loss and it might not diminish much even over time, but we and life in general, grow around it, as shown in the bottom row of jars. As time passes, we learn to manage better. Therapy can help us become more aware of our feelings as we slowly adjust to life as it is now, and living.