Coping with Grief | Arizona Center For Marriage & Family Therapy

August 30th is National Grief Awareness Day.

Sometimes when we think of grief, we think it only pertains to the feelings of mourning after losing someone dear to us. But you can experience feelings of grief after a variety of life events like losing a job, loss of health or even loss of a close friendship (helpguide.org, 2024). The American Psychology Association shares that grief can include responses like “physiological distress, separation anxiety, confusion, yearning, obsessive dwelling on the past” and can include regret, remorse and sorrow in addition to mourning (apa.org, 2024).

As is life, we will all experience grief. What may be surprising is how people may choose to handle their grief. It may even surprise them. Where some may reach out for support, others may retreat and want privacy. Research has afforded us ways to not only understand grief but to find ways we can handle it in the most healthy way, given our circumstances. Today, we want to learn the concepts of grief, coping techniques and coping resources available to us.

What are the concepts of grief?

Many who endure grief will experience the 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance (health.clevelandandclinic.org, 2022). A good way to understand the 5 different stages can be articulated below from helpguide.org:

Denial: “This can’t be happening to me.”

Anger: “Why is this happening? Who is to blame?”

Bargaining: “Make this not happen, and in return I will ____.”

Depression: “I’m too sad to do anything.”

Acceptance: “I’m at peace with what happened.”

It’s important to note this is not a linear process. Some may find themselves repeating stages or starting at the bargaining phase and then circling back to denial or anger (healthline.com, 2024).

What are coping techniques that can help with grief?

Research has found that the following coping techniques can be helpful when experiencing grief: acknowledge your pain, accept and expect triggers, understand your process will be unique, seek support and take care of yourself physically (helpguide.org, 2024). One key element to navigating grief is being aware of feelings of grief versus depression. It’s always safe to utilize a therapist during times of grief especially if you think it may be leading to a depressive state. Don’t be afraid to lean into things that bring you joy like spirituality, humor and spending time with your loved ones. There is no correct avenue to process your grief but as time goes on you will find that your life will grow around your grief, even if it doesn’t dissipate.

What are resources that can help with grief?

A fantastic resource for times of distress is the 988 Suicide and Crisis lifeline. You can call or text 988 and it will connect you to a lifeline counselor (healthline.com, 2024). Remember, seeing a professional counselor or therapist regularly can be very beneficial in your healing process.

You can use the American Psychiatrists Association to find a psychiatrist if you if feel that medication could be beneficial.

If you are a veteran with grief, you could use the veteran’s crisis line 800-273-8255.

If you need support with postpartum grief, you can call that hotline at 800-944-4773 (psychcentral.com, 2021).

You can also seek out local grief groups to meet with others who understand and may also be navigating the grieving process. Griefshare.org can be an excellent resource to see what’s available in your area. There are online grief groups too if you would like to not meet in person and those can be found on mygriefangels.org.

Remember we will all experience grief at some point in our lives. This may seem daunting but we can actually find solace in knowing that grief is a universally understood process and that there is support out there for you.

If you’re currently experiencing feelings of grief or distress, please reach out to us today to schedule with one of our therapists. We are here for you.