What Does Grief Feel Like?

Following a death or loss, you may feel empty and numb, as if you are in shock. You may notice physical changes such as trembling, nausea, trouble breathing, muscle weakness, dry mouth, or trouble sleeping and eating.

Feelings of deep sadness and sorrow are common in grief. These and other feelings and thoughts are common. Often, people find themselves engaging in behaviors that are different or unusual, or thinking in ways that are unfamiliar and disturbing. Finding their beliefs challenged in grief, many people experience a kind of “spiritual crisis” following loss.

You may become angry - at a situation, a particular person, or just angry in general. Guilt is a common response which may be easier to accept and overcome by looking at the experience in terms of “regret.”  When we think "I regret I was not in the room when he died” or “I regret I was not able to speak more openly about dying” it is less critical than “I feel guilty about my behavior.”

People in grief may have strange or disturbing dreams, be absent-minded, withdraw socially, or lack the desire to participate in activities that used to be enjoyable. While these feelings and behaviors are normal during grief, they will pass.

In general, grief makes room for a lot of thoughts, behaviors, feelings and beliefs that might be considered abnormal or unusual at other times. Following significant loss, however, most of these components of grief are, in fact, quite normal.

Hospice of Memorial Hospital hosts bereavement programming throughout the year. Visit Memorial’s online event calendar for more information. Some upcoming workshops include the Memory Makers Support Group, which is a scrapbooking based group and the Healing Journey Support Group.

About the Author:
Vicki Meade RN, Director of Hospice of Memorial Hospital, is a graduate of Providence Hospital School of Nursing. She has worked with hospice for 20 years, being the director the last 1 1/2 years.

Vicki was born and raised in Clyde and has spent most of her life in this community. She presently lives in Clyde with her husband Ron and has 2 children in college. Vicki’s passion is to continue to care for the people in this community as hospice has for the past 25 years. In her spare time Vicki enjoys spending time with family and friends, spending time outdoors and relieving her stress at Boot camp class.

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