What is grief?
Grief is a deeply personal experience and can vary from person to person. Numerous factors influence it, including your relationship with the person you’ve lost. Your previous experiences with grief and the support network around you will also make a difference.
Grief isn’t limited to the death of a loved one. You can feel grief for the end of a relationship, a job loss or retirement, a loved one’s illness, or selling a home. People will also grieve for a miscarriage, a pet’s death, loss of health and personal independence, or financial stability.
This emotional rollercoaster may bring sadness, anger, guilt and disbelief. Its intensity can affect your physical health and daily life. There is no ‘right’ way to grieve: it’s your unique experience and societal expectations shouldn’t dictate it. Grief is universal, but how you navigate it is distinctly your own, a testament to your strength and resilience.
Seek support from friends, family or professionals and understand that healing and acceptance can take time.
74% of bereaved people with high or severe vulnerability are not accessing formal bereavement services or mental health support.
Only 1 in 3 employers has a bereavement policy.
39% of bereaved people reported difficulties in getting support from friends or family
78% of 11-16 year olds have lost a close relative or friend.
What causes people to struggle with grief and loss?
Losing a loved one is an incredibly painful experience that can forever alter the course of our lives. However, whether it’s a close friend, spouse, parent or child, with time, healing is possible. For some people, grief can become a persistent, overwhelming presence known as complicated grief. This holds you back from returning to a normal life.
Most experts recognise two types of grief: normal and healthy grief, and complicated or prolonged grief. If grief lasts for more than a year, it may require treatment to help you find acceptance and peace. Seeking help is a courageous step towards healing.
The impact of grief and loss
Grief can be overwhelming, dominating your thoughts and emotions. It can also reappear unexpectedly.
Grief follows no set path and emotions can range from panic and anxiety to sadness and yearning. Sometimes it’s accompanied by difficulty concentrating and confusion about what comes next. People can also feel intense anger, which might impact relationships and daily interactions.
Some people may suppress or mask these intense feelings – putting on a brave face while grappling with the challenges of coping. People often feel lonely because of a sense of loss and a feeling of losing control. Lingering sadness and hopelessness may evolve into a deeper depression.
Bereavement from suicide or witnessing suffering can intensify these emotions, sometimes leading to conflicting feelings of guilt and relief. Acknowledge that you did your best in these circumstances.
Your appetite might fluctuate, going from overeating to struggling to eat. It’s common for your sleep to be disturbed too, and you could have vivid dreams featuring the person or thing you are grieving for.
Grief can also affect you physically and your immune system may weaken, making you more susceptible to illness. You can experience inflammation, elevated cortisol levels, joint pain, headaches and an accelerated heart rate.
How can it be overcome?
Grieving is a deeply personal experience, yet you’re not alone on this journey. Don’t hesitate to reach out, whether it’s to friends, family, or professional counsellors. Seeking help from support groups and your GP can also be beneficial.
Explore ways to remember your loved one
You can find strength in the love and memories you shared with your loved one – share stories with others and embrace these memories. You might choose honour their memory with a photo or video collage, or a memory box.
Celebrate their life and keep their spirit alive in ways that feel most appropriate. This could be by cooking their favourite food, visiting somewhere that was special to them or donating to a charity they cared about.
Accept the range of emotions
Your varied emotions are a natural part of the grieving process. Whether it’s waves of sadness, moments of guilt or even unexpected relief, accept them as part of your healing journey. Grief doesn’t follow a set pattern and can catch you off-guard, so allow yourself to feel emotions as they come. Be patient and kind to yourself, understanding that healing takes time.
Look after your physical health
Try to get plenty of sleep, eat nutritious foods and take some exercise, even if it’s just a gentle walk outside. Any exercise can be a therapeutic outlet, releasing endorphins and enhancing your sense of wellbeing. This makes it even more important during grief.
Support groups
Connecting with others who are experiencing loss can offer incredible support. Sharing your feelings with those who understand can be both healing and comforting. Support groups offer a communal space for shared healing that can help you to navigate the intricacies of your grief.
Accept this change
In time, you will find it easier to gently accept your new reality. Always remember that it’s okay to find joy and laughter amidst the sorrow.
How can hypnotherapy help?
Hypnotherapy for bereavement provides a gentle approach to coping with grief. It helps you to process emotions and confront any trauma. It enables you to cherish positive memories, creating a comforting bond with the departed.
This method of hypnotherapy for grief allows you to move towards acceptance, while navigating grief at your own pace. Using grief hypnosis, it taps into your subconscious, transforming pain into a celebration of shared moments and fostering resilience.
Hypnotherapy for grief offers a confidential space for expressing the complex emotions you are experiencing. Your hypnotherapist will also share relaxation techniques that can reduce stress, making it easier to cope day-to-day.
As grief is so personal, the number of sessions needed varies. This therapy will support your path to healing with self-kindness, emphasising that everyone’s recovery process is unique.
Our Bereavement Specialists
Benn Baker-Pollard
Sittingbourne
Carmen Harrington
Market Harborough
Caroline Prout
Thrapston
Chris Johannes
Spalding
Claire Noyelle
Maidstone East
Dawn Ibbetson
Chelmsford
Gary Johannes
Peterborough
Kerry Seymour
Weston-super-Mare
Peter Ely
Islington
Victoria Anderson
Sunderland
Why Choose Inspired To Change
Our solution focused hypnotherapists empower you to better understand your brain, helping to guide you towards solutions and achieve the outcomes you want. We have a team of fully trained hypnotherapists, giving you the choice of who to work with and how you want to work with them. Solution focused hypnotherapy is just as effective in-person or online in the comfort of your own home, so you can find the ideal therapist to help you reach your goals.
Every one of our hypnotherapists is recognised by governing bodies like the National Council for Hypnotherapy, the UK’s leading not-for-profit hypnotherapy professional association. They have all trained with Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training, one of the leading hypnotherapy schools in the UK.
