Understanding Prolonged Grief: How to Recognize When It’s Affecting Your Daily Life
If you’ve recently suffered a loss, it’s normal to feel deeply sad, anxious, confused, and lonely. Even if you’re surrounded by people, it can seem like no one really understands what you’re going through. It might be tough to focus, and you may have trouble finding anything to look forward to. Despite this, you keep putting one foot in front of the other, and in time, you start to feel a bit lighter.
For many people, these acute symptoms of grief can last anywhere from six months to a year. This doesn’t mean that the loss no longer hurts. Instead, you’re able to honor your loved one’s memory while gradually finding new motivation to move forward in life.
But what if your intense grief lasts much longer? If you’ve noticed these signs or symptoms more than a year after a loss, you may be living with prolonged grief.
Difficulty Carrying Out Basic Responsibilities
Maybe you can’t find the energy to tidy up your home, go grocery shopping, make doctor’s appointments, or run other necessary errands. You might be so physically and mentally exhausted that handling all of your responsibilities at work, and as a result, your job might be in jeopardy. Sometimes, even keeping up with basic hygiene feels like an uphill battle. If you’re struggling with tasks like these several months or years after a loss, you may be suffering from prolonged grief.
Struggling With Denial Over Your Loss
When you’re living with prolonged grief, you may have trouble accepting the reality of the loss. You might have frequent dreams about your loved one that leave you feeling disoriented when you wake up.
Most days, you spend hours ruminating about your loved one’s passing, and whether or not you could have done something to prevent it. As you reflect on your memories, you might blame yourself for the loss. You might resist moving any of your loved one’s belongings or changing anything about your living space because you worry that it would be disrespectful.
Extreme Loneliness and Isolation
Even people with large social circles often feel lonely when they’re grieving. While there’s no doubt that community support can ease the pain of grief, it doesn’t erase the pain of missing your loved one. Socializing in the wake of a loss can feel a bit awkward, and you might pull back from large gatherings for a while.
But if you’re dealing with prolonged grief, you might have practically stopped answering texts or calls. Your loved ones may have expressed concerns about your wellbeing, or they may have stopped reaching out altogether. Part of you might miss them, but another part of you feels too vulnerable to get back in touch.
Substance Abuse and Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
You might feel so desperate to escape your grief that you turn to substance abuse or other harmful coping mechanisms. Trying to process your grief seems daunting, so instead, you try to suppress these painful emotions. But temporarily numbing your grief will only prolong it further.
Losing Hope for the Future
Prolonged grief can leave you questioning whether you really have any purpose in life. You feel as though nothing positive or meaningful could be on the horizon for you. But you don’t have to continue living under the fog of grief. Even after a devastating loss, you can reconnect with your sense of purpose and find joy in unexpected places. With guidance, healing from prolonged grief is possible.
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Do you suspect that you’re struggling with prolonged grief? Reaching out to a grief therapist can be vital during this difficult time. Reach out today to schedule a consultation.
