Grief After Your Loss
Feelings of despair or deep sadness are known as grief. Losing a person in one’s life can bring up those feelings. One can even have anticipatory grief, which occurs before death and can happen for both the person with the illness and people close to them.
We each mourn in our own way and in our own time. While it’s a completely normal process, it can be difficult and consuming. Many people find their experience of grief is different than what was anticipated. It can be harder and deeper than expected and affect one on many levels – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
You may experience some of these feelings and physical symptoms of grief:
- Anger
- Sadness
- Shock
- Confusion and forgetfulness
- Anxiety
- Sensitivity to noises and movement
- Guilt and self-doubt
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Trouble sleeping
- Longing to see your loved one
- Imagining you see your loved one or hear their voice
- Low energy, changes in appetite, weight gain or loss, headaches, and nausea
Self-Care
Losing someone you love is a natural, yet painful, part of life. Grief is part of the healing process as you cope with your loss.
Taking care of yourself is important when grieving. Self-care includes giving yourself permission to have feelings, even painful ones, reaching out for and accepting support, and avoiding pressure to “get over it.”
Self-care also includes taking care of your body by getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and being physically active, if able.
Resources – in lieu of Bereavement Coordinators
For more information regarding grief support and services, feel to reach out to Kaiser San Leandro Bereavement Line at: 510-454-4728
Calendar of Events
You don’t need to grieve alone. Check our calendar for listings of support groups, celebrations of life, and other bereavement resources in your local area.
- Alameda
- Antioch
- Fairfield
- Fremont
- Gilroy
- Livermore
- Martinez
- Mountain View
- Napa
- Oakland
- Pinole
- Redwood City
- Richmond
- Roseville
- Sacramento
- San Francisco
- San Leandro
- San Mateo
- San Jose
- Santa Clara
- South San Francisco
- Union City
- Walnut Creek
- Vacaville
- Vallejo
Websites
Connect with others who have lost a loved one in an online, virtual support group and find information on grief, loss, and healing.
- Compassionate Friends – Supporting Family after a Child Dies
www.compassionatefriends.org - Hospice Foundation of America
www.hospicefoundation.org
Books
- After-Loss: A Recovery Companion for Those Who are Grieving by Barbara LesStrang
- How to Go on Living When Someone You Love Dies by Therese A. Rando, PhD
- Living with Loss: One Day at a Time by Rachel Blythe Kodanaz
- Living When a Loved One Has Died, by Earl A. Grollman
- Seven Choices: Finding Daylight after Loss Shatters Your World by Elizabeth Harper Neeld