“Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot. All of that unspent love gathers in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in the hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.” – Jamie Anderson-
What is grief?
Grief is the natural response to loss. It can be triggered by many different events such as losing a loved one, moving away, losing a job, acquiring a new injury, or going through a major life change. Sometimes, we even start the grief process in anticipation of a negative event. Grief may make you feel stuck, not knowing what to do and how to move on.
Is grief linear?
Absolutely not. The grief process is like the waves of an ocean. Sometimes the waves are quiet, and sometimes, the waves are rocky. This ocean can be unpredictable, and you may not know when the next wave will be.
It may feel like things are going in a positive direction, and it feels like you may be moving on some days. On other days, it may feel that things are tumbling down, and everything is feeling hopeless.
There are times when your loss does not feel real and when it feels so real that it is hard to wrap your head around it. It is a messy process, and it can be tricky to navigate.
How to manage your grief?
Pavneet Sandhu
Pavneet Sandhu is a junior Clinical Counsellor at Expressions Counselling, awaiting her registration with BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. She is passionate about working with individuals to overcome grief and depression. She sees clients in-person at our Burnaby and Port Moody locations as well as online.
