What Are the Signs of Grief?
As your senior nears the end of her life grief is going to become more of a function of everyday life for you and for the rest of the people who care about her. Sometimes grief doesn’t look the way that you expect it to look. It’s a complicated series of feelings and reactions to a really difficult situation. When you recognize the signs for what they care, you can help everyone to cope more effectively.
The Social and Emotional Indicators of Grief
Everyone affected is likely experiencing the emotional effects of grief. Some members of the family may want to be alone while others might be trying to circle the wagons and pull everyone in the family closer. Many family members are likely to be feeling jumpy. There’s likely to be a wide range of emotions on deck and they might show up for individual family members randomly.
The Physical Indicators of Grief
As emotional as grief is, it has a physical impact, too. You and other family members are likely to feel a combination of:
- Exhaustion
- Aches and pains
- Digestive issues
- Changes in appetite
- Insomnia
- Trouble with chronic health conditions
It’s easy to explain these symptoms away, especially if there are other things going on at the same time. Plus, some of these, like exhaustion, are easy to understand because there’s so much going on with your senior during this time. But grief definitely contributes.
Grief Manifests Mentally, Too
There are other indications of grief, too. People who are grieving often have a more difficult time thinking clearly and remembering new details. It’s important that if you’re experiencing those symptoms that you’re not too demanding on yourself and on others. These types of symptoms are showing up because you’re grieving and you’re distracted.
What Can Help?
Taking your time and being kind to yourself is a great start. Asking for help when you need it is also something that allows you to deal with how you’re feeling. End-of-life care providers can be particularly helpful with not only the actual tasks that need doing but also in finding more specialized assistance. They can put you in touch with other resources as you need them.
Grief never looks the same for everyone who is affected, but it does share similarities from person to person. Use the tools and resources that you can gather to help your entire family to cope better.
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