As you know, grief doesn't abide by arbitrary timelines or seasons of the year. That said, many people find the winter months particularly challenging for their mental health. This makes so much sense. As you navigate through grief, you may be longing for the old traditions that once brought you deep happiness or meaning. You might feel overwhelmed by loneliness...[ read more ]
Aging coincides with loss, and older adults become well-versed in navigating all types of grief in their later years. Grief, of course, is a natural and expected part of life, but sometimes it also exacerbates into a deeper depression. The emotional landscape of grief is often deeply complex and can be hard to put into words. You may be grieving...[ read more ]
How Therapy Can Help If You're Experiencing Loneliness or Social Isolation Loneliness and isolation can be profoundly painful and even harder to talk about. You might feel disconnected from others, unsure how to rebuild meaningful relationships, or too exhausted by chronic illness or grief to reach out at all. If you're experiencing this, you're not weak or broken. You're responding...[ read more ]
It's no secret that the holiday season is riddled with intense expectations and pressure. There are so many societal messages about how we should enjoy the most "wonderful time of the year." But if your current life circumstances fall outside of these optimal parameters, you may feel overwhelmed, depressed, or lonely. This year, whether you're spending the holidays alone due...[ read more ]
Coping with a colleague's death can be logistically and emotionally difficult. While other types of losses, such as the death of a spouse, friend, or family member, are often talked openly about, the complex experience of losing a coworker isn't always as readily named. That said, the average full-time employee works just about 37 hours per week- there's a good...[ read more ]
All emotions are valid during grief. In a society that often misunderstands grief and loss, this can't be emphasized enough. As you move through various feelings, both crying and not crying are valid responses. That said, it can sometimes feel unnerving to not be able to cry during a particularly tenuous time. Maybe you resonate with feeling sad or scared,...[ read more ]
Every loss we face in life comes with its unique grieving process, and the death of a best friend can trigger intense feelings of sadness, anger, fear, confusion, and more. Unlike the death of spouses or core other family members, sometimes people unintentionally overlook the significance of a friend's death. However, this experience can feel just as shocking or gutting...[ read more ]
Grief dreams are a typical part of any grieving process, but they can feel uncomfortable, sad, and even scary. They may happen just after the loss. However, they sometimes occur several months or years after the death of a loved one. The specific type or frequency of grief dreams varies from person to person. Some only have one grief dream,...[ read more ]
Life can deal us such a heavy hand sometimes. You may feel overwhelmed by the weight of the world. You might worry that things in your personal life will never get better. You may move around with this perpetual sense of dread or angst. Heaviness is an inherent part of life, and there's nothing wrong with feeling the gravity of...[ read more ]
Does it seem like one bad thing keeps having one after another? Have you experienced multiple losses in quick succession? Are you perpetually angry, sad, or tired- and do these feelings trigger an overarching sense of stuckness? Bereavement overload- also known as grief overload- can happen after enduring several losses. The "overload" effect may compromise your physical and emotional well-being....[ read more ]