What is grief?
Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief will be. You may associate grief with the death of a loved one – which is often the cause of the most intense type of grief.
Everyone grieves differently. Grieving is a personal and highly individual experience. How you grieve depends on many factors, including your personality and coping style, your life experience, your faith, and the nature of the loss. The grieving process takes time. Healing happens gradually; it can’t be forced or hurried, and there is no “normal” timetable for grieving.
Common experiences of grief
- Shock and disbelief
- Sadness
- Guilt
- Anger
- Fear
- Physical symptoms
You can read more about how to deal with grief on our ‘What can help?’ page.