Throughout our lives we experience good and rewarding moments, but we also have to deal with the loss of loved ones and other sad events. Losing a loved one can trigger a variety of intense feelings such as pain, anger, sadness... For some people, grief can lead to depression or worsen existing depressive symptoms. Crying and feeling sad after the loss of a loved one is completely normal and expected, but prolonged feelings of sadness and hopelessness may mean that you are experiencing a depression.
Time helps us to overcome those feelings, as well as to recognize the pain and to take measures to improve. In this Psychology-Online article we show you how to overcome sadness over the loss of a loved one.
We all express our feelings differently, while some people may have symptoms very similar to depression, such as social withdrawal and intense feelings of sadness others don't. Between the pain produced by a normal grief and the depression produced by that grief there are great differences that we can organize around the following aspects:
Duration of symptoms
People with depression feel depressed most of the time, while people who are grieving or grieving considered normal tend to have waves of negative feelings, that is, there is a fluctuation of symptoms.
Support acceptance
People with depression often begin to isolate themselves, avoid, or push other people out of their lives. However, people who are grieving in their lives avoid festive settings, but often accept support of some loved ones.
Performance level
Someone who is grieving may be able to maintain a certain level of academic or work functioning, they may even participate in activities that help keep their mind occupied. However, if it is depression, you can experience severe symptoms that do not allow you to carry out important activities either in the work, academic or social fields.
Grief can be the trigger for depression, but not everyone who grieves experiences depression. If you think you need more help to overcome this stage, we recommend you read this other article about how to overcome a pathological grief.
Grief processes in the face of significant losses They are something normal that we experience when we lose a loved one, feeling a great variety of emotions. However, some people experience long-lasting and intense grief, known as pathological grief.
The pathological grief it shares some of the symptoms of depression and can also lead to depression or worsen an existing depression.
The symptoms of a complicated grief or pathological include:
- Thought problems about anything other than the death of the loved one
- Lasting longing for the loved one
- Difficulty accepting that the loved one is gone
- Lasting bitterness over loss
- Feeling like life has no meaning
- Trouble trusting in the others
- Difficulty remembering positive memories of the loved one
- Grief and sadness that get worse over time instead of better
Some tips that can help you get over the pain produced by the loss of a loved one are:
Go to rituals (dependent on culture)
For some people, going to funerals, masses or other types of traditions can help them process their grief and emotions, in some cases it is even necessary to overcome that phase of pain. Being around people who knew your loved one can be very comforting.
Express your emotions and feel relieved
If in some moments you feel the need to cry don't try to stop it. Don't worry if listening to certain songs or doing certain things is painful because they remind you of the missing person, that is completely normal. After a while, it will become less painful and you will feel better.
Talk about it when you can
Some people find it good to tell the story of their loss or talk about their feelings. But sometimes the person does not want to talk about the loss, this is perfectly understandable and no one should feel pressured to speak up. If you don't feel comfortable talking, find alternative ways to express your emotions and thoughts.
Preserve the memories
There are people who decide to plant a tree or hold meetings in honor of the deceased, others prefer to make a box of memories with objects and memories of the lost person, in which they can include a letter written to that person expressing their feelings.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to overcome sadness over the loss of a loved one, we recommend that you enter our category of Emotions.
