What to Do When You Feel Stuck in Grief
Grief can be overwhelming, sometimes causing us to experience a plethora of conflicting thoughts and feelings. Many people get “stuck” in grief, meaning that they shut down and don’t know what to do next. Feeling helpless, clueless, or exhausted is a natural part of grief, and it is okay to remain in this state for a while. However, many people experience a build-up of anxiety that comes from knowing they should get out of this state but not knowing how. Being Caught Unaware We are not taught how to navigate grief. Our culture regards death, sickness, and suffering in clinical ways. However, we all face death at some point, either directly when we lose someone close to us or indirectly when we support a friend through grief. It’s not uncommon to feel unprepared and shocked over death, even when we have anticipated it. Everyone has a unique experience with grief. What one person goes through will not be the same as another, even within families and friend groups. Certain thoughts and feelings can be alarming and can cause us to question our mental health or character. For example, we may feel both sadness and anger at our lost loved one. We might not even feel anything at all for a long while until something triggers our emotions unexpectedly. There is no correct way to grieve, and this is one of the reasons why grief is so complex. We can feel unhinged in grief, and we might genuinely be emotionally unstable for a while. Grief forces us to confront all of the things that we would rather avoid. That can be draining on every level. Getting Stuck in Grief Our nervous system serves us by performing many complex tasks that we are often unaware of. For example, we become sleepy [...]
