by Elizabeth Postle, RN, HV, FWT
Grief can cause depression but the sadness of grief and depression are not the same thing.
Everyone who is grieving will be sad, and emotions are triggered by memories, songs, places and anniversaries. But after a while, memories become bittersweet and it can be a pleasure to look back on happy times.
Grief should not stop you from being able to function, to work and to enjoy the company of friends even if there are times when you are very sad and need to have a good cry.
Some people, however, can tip over from the sadness of grief into depression and sometimes severe debilitating depression can be caused by grief especially if the loss was sudden, traumatic or caused by violence or disaster. The anxiety and heartache of loss should not be taken lightly.
It helps to understand what is normal grief and what is depression so you know when to get help.
We have recently published a page which lays out 65 common reactions to grief. You can have a look at those here, or just check out the image below.
You might experience any combination of a few or many of the above reactions. All of that is perfectly normal. But if they go on for a long time or start to disrupt your life, you many find that you can tip over into depression.
Physical signs such as:
Feelings such as:
Other symptoms such as:
If you have any of the above signs or symptoms and they last more than a couple of weeks, consider consulting a doctor or counselor.
Sadly people who have never suffered the loss of a close loved one do not always understand your pain and will not be able to help. Depression needs the help of an expert professional. Get help and counselling if you feel you are not coping well. It is time to care for yourself.
We recommend online grief counseling from BetterHelp's highly qualified expert counselors. You can read more about how it works here.
Can Bereavement Cause Mental Illness?
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Do you feel alone and sad with no support and no idea how to move forward? It can be tough when you are stuck in grief to find the motivation to get the most out of your precious life.
Online counseling can help by giving you that support so you don't feel so alone. You can have someone to talk to anytime you like, a kind and understanding person who will help you to find meaning in life again, to treasure the memories of your loved one without being overwhelmed and to enjoy your activities, family and friends again.
Sales from our pages result in a small commission to us which helps us to continue our work supporting the grieving.
Try a gentle hypnotherapy track to relax the mind. Learn how self-hypnosis can help you cope with grief at any time of the day or night.
Sales from our pages result in a small commission to us which helps us to continue our work supporting the grieving.
Check out our lovely range of memorial jewelry for any lost loved one. Pendants, necklaces, rings or bracelets, we have them all in all kinds of styles. Choose for yourself or buy as a sympathy gift.
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For USA Residents:
Please help our colleagues at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, USA by joining in their research study:
Losing a child to cancer is devastating, and there is a critical need to develop effective supports.
A federally-funded study in the United States (US) evaluating different types of support for bereaved parents is currently seeking participants. Parents residing in the US may be eligible if they lost a child diagnosed with cancer at least 6 months ago and live in one of the following states: NY, NJ, PA, CT, FL, or TN (other eligible states are being added, please complete the survey to check with us).
To find out if you may be eligible, please click here, visit our website at bereavedparentsupportstudy.com, or email us at parentstudy@mskcc.org.
Our free downloadable and printable document "The 10 Most Important Things You Can Do To Survive Your Grief And Get On With Life" will help you to be positive day to day.
The 10 points are laid out like a poem on two pretty pages which you can pin on your fridge door to help you every day!
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