What No One Tells You About Grief

Grief: keen mental suffering or distress over addiction or loss; a sharp sorrow, painful regret; a cause or occasion of keen distress or sorrow.

Dictionary.com concisely breaks down what this powerful word entails, and life shows us that grief is indeed, a deep, painful feeling that comes up when we suffer loss.

On the surface, we know that grief is something that every person will experience in their lifetime. In having relationships with others, trying new things and in simply living life, we all will experience a loss of some kind.What no one tells us about grief is, in losing someone or something, the ongoing healing comes from learning to live without who or what we have lost.Your emotions may truly feel all over the place, as your mind, body and spirit comes to understand your loss.

Heavy feelings may come and go in waves, and you may even feel like you will never feel happy again.What no one tells us about grief is how this is not unusual, and there isn't a timeline on when these feelings may show up.

Loss can mean many things to each individual person. And we can grieve the loss of human life, loss of a relationship, loss of a part of our past and loss of an opportunity.

What no one tells us about grief is how things will change. Life will feel different, because life is different. Daily tasks and responsibilities may change and routines will be altered. There may be confusion, frustration, and exhaustion that come with these changes -- along with impatience, disappointment and irritation.

What no one tells us about grief is that grief can look different for every individual. There is no right or wrong way to grieve, though there are safe and unsafe ways to cope with loss.Grief is heavy. And in learning to live with loss, the weight of grief may sometimes feel like more than you can carry.In healing and grieving, know that:

• You deserve support, patience and kindness. From others, and to yourself.

• There is no way to rush through the grieving process. Take it a day at a time.

• Connect with those whom you love and trust the most during this time.

What no one tells us about grief is how, as time continues to pass, the weight of that grief will also change.

What is something no one told you about grief?