Grief, Loss, and Stress

Whenever you have suffered a loss, it is natural to grieve, and there is no correct way to process your grief. The death of a loved one or friend can leave us feeling lost with nowhere to turn. The loss of a job we loved, or the sale of our childhood home can also spark grief.

Your whole world can feel flipped upside down due to a major loss or death. Typically, with time we find a way to integrate the loss and continue our lives. But sometimes the grief can become emotionally and physically overwhelming and that is when it can be beneficial to seek professional help. 

• Breakup/Divorce
• Miscarriage
• Death of a pet
• Loss of job/career
• Loss of financial stability
• Retirement
• Loss of friendship
• Loss of health, serious diagnosis
• Loss of physical mobility and independence
• Serious illness for a loved one
• Accident or near-death experience

At some point in our lives, we all experience a loss or change whether that is the death of a loved one or pet, the ending of a relationship, or losing a job. This can lead you to feel a range of deep emotions including, but not limited to, sadness, emptiness, or anger. If you are experiencing intense emotional distress after a loss, it may be time to consider seeking the help of a therapist.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross outlined the five stages of grief many of us are familiar with in her 1969 book, On Death and Dying. 

According to Kübler-Ross, these are not formulaic stages, instead, they are emotional states and adaptive mechanisms that occur in various patterns.

● Denial

● Anger

● Bargaining

● Depression

● Acceptance

Many things can cause us stress and we all experience different stress triggers. You may feel stressed due to one event or situation or your stress may be a build-up of smaller things over time.

Prolonged exposure to stress that is not managed well can manifest into mental illness such as depression, anxiety, or a trauma disorder. 

Some Events That Can Cause Stress:

• Being under pressure
• Big changes in your life
• Going through a period of uncertainty
• Excessive worrying about a past or future event
• Lack of control over the outcome of a situation
• Feeling overwhelmed by your responsibilities
• Lack of work or employment
• Experience hate, discrimination, or abuse
• Experience microaggressions 
• Experience racism, systemic racism, interpersonal racism, and institutional racism 
• Experience a natural disaster
• Experience theft, rape, or violence
• Chronic illness or injury
• Being a caretaker to a sick or elderly family member

Stress can interfere with your work, social life, family, and health. 55% of Americans say they are stressed during the day.