Chapter 1: An introduction to grief
How grief may affect you
How grief may affect you
Click on each of the boxes below to explore some of the ways grief may
affect you.
There may be times when your grief is a physical sensation, such as a stomach-ache, headache or shortness of breath.
You may have:
- Conflicting feelings – Such as sadness and relief.
- Intense feelings – That might surprise or shock you.
- Unpredictable feelings – When you might feel you’re doing ‘okay’ and then suddenly feel knocked over by a wave of emotion.
- Feelings of isolation – Even if you have people who care about you close by, feeling alone and lonely.
Grief can interfere with thinking, making you more forgetful or affecting your ability to concentrate.
You may notice changes in your behaviour, such as not doing things you used to enjoy and avoiding friends.
Your beliefs may change, such as your faith or your trust in the future.
Grief changes us and grief changes over time. After a while it may take up less of our energy. This doesn’t mean forgetting the person who died. We carry their memory forward - remembering all the aspects of who they were–what we found most challenging and what we cherished most. We continue to have relationships in a different way with the people who were important to us, even though they’re no longer physically present.
