Am I crazy or is this “normal” for grief?
You should be relieved to know that if you experience items listed below you are not crazy, just grieving. This is due to the fact that you may not have experienced such intense physical/emotional reactions before the loss of a loved one.
What is grief? High, high levels of stress! The reactions listed below may be what one would experience when stressed - grief may be more intense and last longer.
Short Term Memory Loss
“I walk into the room and can’t remember why I walked in there”
“I have very little memory about what happened at the funeral.”
Increased Forgetfulness
“I keep losing my car keys.”
“I can’t remember people’s names I have known for years.”
Inability to Concentrate
“I try to read the newspaper, but keep reading the same paragraph over and over again.”
“I can’t seem to focus on any one thing.”
Lowered self-esteem
“It is driving me crazy that I can’t seem to make simple decisions.”
“I feel so helpless....alone....aimless.…nothing seems to matter anymore.”
Feeling numb
“I loved my husband; so why don’t I feel anything right now?”
“I feel so numb, it feels like a dream and not real but yet I know that it is.”
Increased irritability / lack of tolerance
“I am angry at myself, and increasingly angry at others.”
“I have little tolerance for others who talk about trivial matters.”
Changes in eating habits
-If you are someone wo tends to eat more when you are stressed than it is not uncommon to see a 10 pound weight gain.
-If you eat less when stressed - you may see a weight loss of up to 10 pounds.
Changes in sleep patterns
“I try to sleep but keep reliving all the last memories before he/she died.”
“I am sleeping all the time but yet I always feel exhausted.”
There are many other possible manifestations in grief that may affect your thoughts, feelings, physical responses, social relationships, and coping skills. Please contact a Bereavement Counselor at Delaware Hospice to learn more about Bereavement Support Programs in your area. Call 800-838-9800 today.
Delaware Hospice is accredited by The Joint Commission.