Grief and trauma - links

Hey there,

As a therapist, I feel like I am constantly learning about new topics, diagnoses and issues that can affect clients. It never ceases to amaze me when this happens in a session, and I am always so grateful for it. Grief is one such process where I have always known that it affects so many people, but I used to underestimate how it can show up differently in every single person. I recently found the "Ball In A Box" analogy to describe grief, posted by Lauren Herschel. I am so moved by both the simplicity and accuracy of the description. I definitely suggest checking it out, as it could be a helpful technique to use in therapy (i.e. visualization). I learned about traumatic grief while working with a client several years ago. Without going into too much detail, I realized that there are major differences between grief and traumatic grief. One person may hear about the death of a loved one and experience sadness, depression, and denial. Yet another person may learn about the death of someone they love and be impacted quite differently.  It is important to notice when an experience begins to impact functioning and daily living. The Trauma Survivors Network lists several symptoms of possible traumatic grief:

• Preoccupation with the deceased
• Pain in the same area as the deceased
• Memories are upsetting
• Avoid reminders of the death
• Death is unacceptable
• Feeling life is empty
• Longing for the person
• Hear the voice of the person who died
• Drawn to places and things associated with the deceased
• See the person who died
• Anger about the death
• Feel it is unfair to live when this person died
• Disbelief about the death
• Bitter about the death
• Feeling stunned or dazed
• Envious of others
• Difficulty trusting others
• Lonely most of the time
• Difficulty caring about others

I hope you find this information helpful, and if it sounds like something you want to work on, let me know in your free consultation.
-Kristin, The Lead Counselor - Facebook, Instagram